Rabat – Morocco’s Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) has partnered with energy-focused Chariot and manufacturer of green hydrogen systems Oort Energy to launch green hydrogen pilot projects in Morocco.
The projects are set to use a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolyzer system, patented by Oort, to produce green hydrogen from water using renewable energy.
OCP’s Jorf lasfar’s Research and Development facility is expecting to host one of the pilot projects.
If the projects go ahead they would prove whether large-scale green hydrogen and ammonia production is feasible in Morocco.
By taking part in the project, Chariot has deployed its expertise in the field to evaluate the economic viability of the project while UM6P is mobilizing its network of researchers and partners to develop education and capacity building around the production of green hydrogen and ammonia in Morocco.
The pilot project would also be an opportunity for Oort to test its electrolyzer technology in a different setting, with the objective of bringing “the cost of green hydrogen production down.”
According to Oort’s CEO Nick van Djik, the testing “will be a key step in demonstrating [the electrolyzer’s] capabilities whilst also assessing its efficiency, durability and cost structure for implementation in large scale projects.”
Green hydrogen and ammonia are key drivers of the global quest towards cleaner energy and food security. In the past years, numerous studies have been exploring the potential uses of green hydrogen in transport, heavy industries, and other energy-intense and polluting sectors.
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The green hydrogen can produce green ammonia, a fertilizer, after reacting with nitrogen under high temperatures and pressures. Today, ammonia is mostly produced from natural gas following a reaction of methane with steam and air. The process generates water and carbon dioxide.
Given the need to increase fertilizer production in Morocco and Africa to address regional food insecurity challenges, Morocco’s phosphate and fertilizer giant OCP Group has reiterated its interest in developing green ammonia projects in the country. The new projects hope to cut the group’s reliance on natural gas, a scarce energy source in the country.
By hosting one of the pilot projects in its facility in Jarf Lasfar, OCP is taking a step forward towards implementing its green agenda.
In March, OCP, UM6P, and Shell launched a pilot project focused on producing low-carbon ammonia from renewable energy.
Partnerships between research institutes and public and private stakeholders are vital to the development of green hydrogen and green ammonia in Morocco.
Director of Innovate for Industry at UM6P Mohamed Bousseta said of the new partnership: “The green hydrogen sector needs collaboration of this nature to develop education and research in this new and strategic domain for Morocco.”
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