By Amal El Attaq
Rabat – The Ministry of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development, the Research Institute of Solar Energy and New Energies (IRESEN) and the Secretariat of the Moroccan-German Energy Partnership (PAREMA) organized a workshop to discuss ‘Power to X’ technology.
Held in Rabat, on Monday, February 11, the workshop gathered public authorities, researchers, and private stakeholders all working to improve the North African country’s energy sector.
“Power to X” (or “P2X”) is a technology that allows the transformation of electricity into another energy vector. This vector “X” may cover some industrial or mobility needs. It can also be a synthetic gas such as hydrogen.
After setting up a national commission to display a ‘Power to X’ roadmap, the workshop sheds light on the “Power-to-X” technology and its opportunities in Morocco.
The workshop was also an opportunity to explore the economic and environmental benefits of ‘Power-to-X’ sectors in Morocco, with the aim to develop the local industry to achieve strong export potential.
Promising prospects
During the workshop, the German institutes Fraunhofer IMWS, IGB, and ISI, presented two study results which highlighted some of the prospective economic and environmental benefits of ‘Power-to-X’ in some sectors in Morocco.
“Due to its relevant geographical location and exceptional potential in wind and solar energy, Morocco could capture a significant share of demand for ‘Power-to-X’, ranging between two and four percent of the global demand in 2030,” according to the studies.
A new study is scheduled to concretize the roadmap into a project to develop Morocco’s experience in this area and make it an investment platform.
In his introductory speech, Badr Ikken, General Director of IRESEN, shared his optimism about the future of the sector in Morocco. Ikken presented the new Moroccan research platform for the Power-to-X, highlighting the efforts being invested to bring the sector to new heights.
With an estimated budget of 150 MMAD, IRESEN will be dedicated to R&D (development and research) demonstration of “Power-To-X” technologies. Ikken explained that the institute will mobilize a diversified research program on hydrogen application in the production of green molecules such as Methanol or Ammoniac.
