Marruecos destina 100.000 millones de dirhams en la producción de hidrógeno y amoníaco verde
Morocco continues on the path of carrying out more sustainable and ecological projects that improve both the situation of the nation itself and at a global level, in favour of the planet. The Moroccan government has earmarked 100 billion dirhams for the production of products such as hydrogen and green ammonia, which will replace the main non-renewable energy resources such as oil or even natural gas.
This is a very novel and pioneering plan proposal in the country, which is part of the ecological transition that the Kingdom is currently undergoing in order to base its system on the use of more renewable energies and to decarbonise industries and emit less carbon emissions that seriously affect climate change. Morocco has been working for several years on producing greener and cleaner projects to improve the situation of its citizens.
To carry out the project, the government has turned to TotalEnergies, a French giant specialising in the oil sector, to bring the idea to fruition. The company will set up in the regions of the Kingdom that are closest to the Sahara desert to start producing energy resources. The company will occupy an area of 170,000 hectares and is expected to produce 10 gigawatts by the time it starts to make a profit. The materials will be manufactured using wind and solar energy, as Morocco has the perfect climatic conditions for this.
The French brand has several projects around the world that contribute to the generation of renewable and clean energy. These include the Al Kharsaah solar power plant, located in Qatar; several oil companies in the United Arab Emirates, operated in conjunction with ADNOC - Abu Dhabi National Oil Company - and the Prieska photovoltaic plant, located in South Africa, among others.
Although the plan has not yet been launched, it is currently in a study phase. Sources close to the news told the Moroccan daily Rue20 that the studies are nearing completion and that the installation of the necessary equipment and infrastructure required for the production of hydrogen and ammonia will begin shortly.
On the green ammonia side, experts and sources indicate the expected quantity to be produced. For this year, 3,650 tonnes of the resource are expected to be collected. By 2023, 20,000 tonnes are expected to be obtained, and in 2024, 40,000 tonnes. By 2025 and 2026, more than 60,000 tonnes of this environmentally friendly ammonia is expected to be collected. As for the production of green hydrogen, 616 tonnes of this material will be produced in the first year. In 2023 and 2024, 7,000 and 10,000 tonnes are expected to be collected, respectively. In 2025 and 2026, the figure is expected to reach and rise to over 400 tonnes.
The production of this material is closely linked to the role Morocco is playing in the fight to prevent food crises in Africa. The Alawi country has 75% of the total phosphate production thanks to all the mines it has in its geography. Phosphate is a highly prized mineral in the agricultural world, and its use can generate large and powerful fertilisers, capable of acting on soil such as that of the African continent, which is characteristically dry and arid. Thanks to this, Morocco has become the world's leading producer of fertiliser, and its exports contribute to the improvement of the national economy.
Moreover, as phosphate is a natural resource, its production is both costly and highly polluting. Many environmental groups have protested this and have called for other ways to be found that do not harm the ecosystem, so using hydrogen and green ammonia would be a relief for Africa's soil and water. These do not pose any kind of inconvenience to the region, nor to the planet, and are produced from other renewable energies.
