Morocco Paves Way to Sustainable Future with Green Hydrogen Project
Renewable energy sources such as solar and wind can make the production of hydrogen more eco-friendly (Unsplash).
The Moroccan government announced a plan to dedicate one million hectares of land to a green hydrogen project on Monday, March 11. Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch expressed that the project aligns with government goals to attract investors and plays a key role in the global energy transition, according to an official press release.
This news follows a similar project in Egypt, reflecting the growing momentum of green hydrogen as a clean substitute for oil and gas. These developments in Morocco and Egypt match EU plans to source green hydrogen from North Africa to fuel an energy transition in Europe.
The process, called electrolysis, physically detaches hydrogen atoms from water molecules, producing hydrogen. As opposed to brown hydrogen and grey hydrogen, which are produced via coal and gas respectively, the extraction of green hydrogen uses renewable energy sources. Electrolysis is an energy-intensive process, so the promise of renewable energy in the production of green hydrogen signals the potential for hydrogen to become a sustainable and cost-effective venture.
Green hydrogen shows particular promise in decarbonizing industries that have faced difficulties transitioning to renewable energy in the past such as heavy industry, shipping, and aviation. Additionally, due to green hydrogen’s ability to store energy created from renewable sources, it could also play a key role in the application of sustainable battery-powered technologies such as eco-friendly cars.
Although green hydrogen shows promise as a sustainable energy source, some have doubts about the effectiveness of the venture. Critics argue that while green hydrogen may be a replacement for hydrogen produced with fossil fuels, it is not a cost-effective or environmentally sound solution for other aspects of the energy transition such as heating and transportation.
In an interview with the World Economic Forum, Dr. Emanuele Taibi, Head of the Power Sector Transformation Strategies at the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), stated that the priority with such projects should be “decarbonizing existing hydrogen demand.” Taibi is referring to the replacement of grey and brown hydrogen with green hydrogen in industries in which hydrogen is a key input, including the fertilizer, steel, and plastic industries. He also suggests that before governments engage in green hydrogen projects they must “scale up renewable power capacity” to produce green hydrogen at a competitive price.
In Morocco, the green hydrogen project follows the implementation of other renewable energy projects that give insight into a more sustainable future. The Noor solar power plant, just one example of these innovative technologies, produces enough energy to power the homes of 2.3 million people. With a growing track record of supporting sustainable technologies and energy sources, Morocco shows promise to lead global efforts of decarbonization.