With a total investment of about 16.4 billion euros, Morocco could become Europe's major supplier of green hydrogen in order to meet 5 percent of European demand, experts say.

Huge investments

The Spanish newspaper Cinco Dias, which specializes in economics, recorded in an article that Morocco wants to become "an important country in the hydrogen sector", adding that it "has been strengthening its position in the European market" with the prospect of becoming a "major supplier" to the continent.

For its part, a recent study by the German institute "Fraunhofer", which specializes in applied science research, revealed that Morocco is accelerating its production of green hydrogen to a total of 160 terawatt-hours by 2050.

In this regard, European and Moroccan companies are rushing to invest in this sector, in order to establish infrastructure linking the Iberian Peninsula with North Africa and the rest of the continent, which culminated in the announcement last year by the Spanish hydrocarbons company "Cepsa" to build a hydrogen pipeline to transport green hydrogen from Morocco.

Integrated vision

According to Mohamed Bouhamidi, an expert in renewable energies, Morocco's efforts to achieve the energy transition are not new, as Rabat has embarked on the development of renewable energies, especially solar and wind, on a large scale, and then enters the production of green hydrogen despite the challenges of storage and the difficulty of containing it, in addition to the huge capabilities it requires.

He told Sky News Arabia that the acceleration of climate change and the imminent expiration of most nuclear plants in Europe will give Morocco the opportunity to supply the continent with electricity.

In order to provide uninterrupted electricity, Morocco has launched structured projects to produce green hydrogen made from solar and wind energy, to reduce the cost of manufacturing one kilogram of hydrogen, which is the environmentally friendly fuel of the future that will power most of the engines, Bouhamidi said.

Partnership with the private sector

In the same context, Dr. Badr Zaher Azraq, professor of business law, stressed that Morocco is striving to win the bet of renewable energies and put its mark among the adults in this field.

He pointed out that this approach was compulsory for Morocco by virtue of its desire to establish an economy dominated by industry with all the energies it needs, as well as in order to achieve the requirements of growth and the desired proportions.

He added in an interview with Sky News Arabia that Morocco, by virtue of its geographical location, has huge potential compared to other neighboring countries, in the field of clean energy production.

In this regard, he stressed that the Kingdom needs major funds that the government cannot provide alone, which necessitated dealing with the private sector, including actors from the European Union and even from outside it.

Morocco's open policy has borne fruit, with pilot projects such as Noor 1, Noor 2 and Noor 3, which are still under construction, as well as major green hydrogen projects with German partners, the economic analyst said.

These Moroccan initiatives may become a locomotive that draws other countries to invest in this field, especially since the global trend is now marked by the gradual abandonment of fossil energies, Azraq said.

A previous study by the Atlantic Council said that Morocco, with its natural potential, is qualified to lead the North African region in terms of green hydrogen production.

A recent study this year, published by Aurora Energy Research, also reported that Europe's import of green hydrogen from Morocco is "more economically viable" than domestic production in 2030.