Morocco

Pathway
Pathway

National Innovation Pathway

As mentioned in our Nationally  Determined Contribution (NDC) to the UNFCC, Morocco has set a national greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction target of 42 % below business as usual (BAU) emissions by 2030, which can only be reached under the condition of benefitting from substantial support from the international community. Morocco also commits to an unconditional reduction target of 17 % below BAU levels by 2030, considering reductions in Agriculture, Forestry, and Other Land Use[1].

Morocco aims to be a global leader in the transition to green hydrogen given the country’s strong potential and leadership at the African level. Over the next decade, Morocco will enhance ambition in this area by increasing investment in R&D for hydrogen production through electrolysis, water splitting and solar thermolysis, for hydrogen storage technologies, as well as for other applications involving clean molecules. In addition, there is an ongoing initiative to build a green hydrogen platform for RD&D in this field and supporting R&D and innovation related to the green hydrogen value chain: “Green Hydrogen and Applications Platform – Green H2A”. Furthermore, recent studies had shown that Morocco could produce up to 4% of the global demand for green hydrogen by 2030: the country is set to produce approximately 10,000 tonnes of hydrogen per year starting from 2025, for both domestic and export markets in Morocco and Europe mainly. Green hydrogen is central in the fight against global warming and in accelerating Morocco’s energy transition thus the creation of a green hydrogen cluster and the elaboration of an H2 roadmap.

Other than green hydrogen, solar energy is a priority for Morocco.  Morocco has launched one of the world’s largest and most ambitious solar energy plan with investment of USD 9 billion. The Moroccan Solar Plan is regarded as a milestone on the country’s path towards a secure and sustainable energy supply which is clean, green and affordable. The aim of the plan is to generate 2 gigawatts of solar power by building mega-scale solar power projects at five locations — Laayoune (South), Boujdour (South), Tarfaya (South), Ain Beni Mathar (Center) and Ouarzazate — with modern solar thermal, photovoltaic and concentrated solar power mechanisms. Morocco has gas is the only African country to have power cable links to Europe.

Overall, Morocco aims to develop a national renewable energy industry, as it is diversifying its energy supply and significantly increasing the share of renewable energy in the electricity mix. Morocco seeks to become a major player in regional markets and has supported the development of cutting-edge technologies in solar photovoltaic and solar thermal energy systems, among others. The renewable energy objectives have become more ambitious: the 2030 target is now 52 % of installed power capacity from renewable sources, of which 20% will consist of solar energy, 20% wind energy and 12% hydro energy.

The Moroccan Ministry of Energy, Mines and Environment and his agencies such as IRESEN (Research Institute for Solar Energy and New Energies), play a leading role in the country’s participation in Mission Innovation. The Moroccan Ministry of Education is also playing an important role in defining the framework for Research and Innovation with a new law currently under review for a more supportive environment. The Ministry of Industry also has an active role with its’ new strategy for a green economy in Morocco.

We look forward to sharing our priorities in more detail with other members of MI and our national innovation pathway ahead of COP26.


[1] Morocco’s NDC:

https://www4.unfccc.int/sites/ndcstaging/Pages/Party.aspx?party=MAR&prototype=1