Green hydrogen: Nearly 40 projects on the table

Morocco has received around 40 projects from leading national and international companies in the field of green hydrogen, from 17 countries, Leila Benali recently told parliamentarians. According to the Minister for Energy Transition, MASEN (Moroccan Energy for Renewable Energy) , as the focal point for this offering, will support all investors, particularly in presenting projects and guiding them through the process.

This step-by-step approach will give investors an overall view of the risks associated with the green hydrogen market, enabling them to make informed decisions in this fast-moving sector. On this occasion, the Minister for Energy Transition recalled that, in line with royal directives, the “Morocco Offering” in the field of green hydrogen had been drawn up and launched, covering the entire value chain in this sector. This offering will give a major boost to investment in the energy sector, particularly in renewable energies.

For Leila Benali, the issue of promoting investment in renewable energies is of the utmost importance, especially in view of the Royal guidelines aimed at accelerating the energy transition. Renewable energy power generation programs have made significant progress, thanks to the accumulation of local expertise and the growing interest of international companies in Morocco’s energy model. As a result, total installed electrical capacity exceeded 12 gigawatts, including 5.5 gigawatts from renewable sources. The share of renewable energies in the electricity mix in terms of capacity rose from 37% in 2021 to 45% last April. These projects have helped to reduce dependency and, consequently, energy bills.

Renewable energy projects have also been given access to the medium-voltage grid. The process of issuing the first authorizations has begun, with 3 solar energy projects connected to the medium-voltage grid, with a capacity of almost 100 megawatts, including one project currently in operation.

This momentum has made it possible to build power generation facilities from renewable sources at very reasonable costs and competitive prices, whatever the size of the projects. The Minister gave the example of the tender for the Noor Atlas solar photovoltaic project, with a capacity in excess of 230 megawatts, at a competitive cost of between 34 and 42 cents of a dirham (USD 0.034 and 0.042) per kilowatt-hour. The cost of a solar photovoltaic installation connected to low voltage varies between 8,000 and 10,000 dirhams (USD 800 and 1,000) per kilowatt.

Mohamed CHAOUI