Morocco has pledged to award one million hectares of land to facilitate the construction of its green hydrogen projects. Furthermore, the government plans to allocate this vast land to develop real estate projects as part of its “Morocco Offer” initiative. Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch highlighted that this enormous land allocation will support integrated green hydrogen projects, enhancing Morocco’s competitiveness in the global market. In addition to the land allocation, the government is implementing measures to streamline the real estate sector. This includes simplifying administrative procedures, reducing required documents, and establishing regional urban planning agencies. The goal is to create jobs, attract investment, and improve access to public services. These initiatives demonstrate Morocco’s commitment to sustainable development. It also highlights the country’s ambition to become a global leader in green hydrogen production while fostering a thriving real estate market.
The State of Affairs Regarding Morocco’s Green Hydrogen Projects
With the allocation of the vast land in check, the implementation of Morocco’s green hydrogen projects is all but assured. The authorities will allocate 300,000 hectares to be divided into lots of 10,000 to 30,000 hectares, depending on the size of the planned projects. The government said it will assign the land to private investors and track the project development. It has reportedly received several expressions of interest from around 100 national and international investors. It said the first preliminary contracts could be signed by the third quarter of 2024.
Laila Benali, the minister of energy transition, noted the importance of private investments for the country, which needs to triple its annual investments in renewable energy and multiply its investments by five. Benali said that Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP) recently launched an investment plan worth $14.2 billion. The plan seeks to promote the manufacture and development of various projects. These include the manufacture of green fertilizer, the launch of renewable energy production, and the development of seawater desalination projects.
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The Significance of the Hydrogen Projects Once Completed
The significance of Morocco’s green hydrogen projects could be fundamental in ensuring its position as a global leader in renewables. Morocco wants to position itself as a global exporter of renewable hydrogen. Its domestic energy demand is estimated at around 4 TWh/year by 2030. Due to its proximity to Europe, it wants to position itself as a preferred supplier to the European Union. This could mean the country will import 10 million tons of hydrogen by 2030.
The initiative would help Morocco “play a major role in the field of energy transition globally,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement. Morocco aims for renewables to make up 52% of installed capacity by 2030 from 37.6%. Furthermore, once completed, Morocco’s green hydrogen project could be harnessed into integrated projects covering electricity generation from renewable energies and electrolysis. It could also facilitate the conversion of green hydrogen into ammonia, methanol and synthetic fuel. The offtake would be both for export and for domestic use.
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