Rabat – Morocco’s Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) announced signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with French engineering, and consultancy firm Capgemini Engineering for the exchange of expertise on green energy storage solutions.
According to a LinkedIn post from UM6P, the MoU covers “cooperate on joint collaboration areas such as the development of solid-state storage of hydrogen for mobility applications and the design, simulation, and integration of H2 storage inside the vehicles.”
The post further specifies that the collaboration will also include other research and development (R&D) activities in areas of interest to both parties, with PhD students from the Moroccan university organizing training programs and events with Capgemini.
The collaboration with Capgemini adds to a long list of other agreements UM6P signed with international firms and bodies to stimulate academic research into green energy production, storage, and more.
UM6P, currently a continent hub for scientific innovation, has previously collaborated with Morocco’s Research Institute for Solar Energy and New Energies (IRESEN) to launch the first micro-pilot green hydrogen production system in September 2022.
In November of 2022, the university entered into a partnership with energy-focused company Chariot and manufacturer of green hydrogen systems Oort Energy to launch another series of green hydrogen pilot projects in Morocco. The projects were set to generate green hydrogen from water using renewable energy.
If proven successful, the project would mean that large-scale green hydrogen and ammonia production is feasible in Morocco.
Producing ammonia from green hydrogen is of strategic importance for the country as the substance is a key ingredient in fertilizer. Producing ammonia from green energy would reduce dependency on imports, and would bring the country one step closer to reaching energy sovereignty.
Known as the fuel of the future, green hydrogen provides a low-carbon substitute for highly polluting, fossil-based fuels. Morocco is currently taking a keen interest to establish a domestic production industry and becoming a major supplier in the emerging global supply chain.
Several experts, and research institutions pointed out Morocco’s potential to become an integral part of the future green hydrogen industry.
In June 2022, the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) reported that Morocco is set to have the third cheapest green hydrogen production by 2050, ranging between $0.7 per kilogram of hydrogen to $1.4.
The country ranked third after China and Chile, and far ahead of well-established global energy hubs such as Australia, Mexico, India, and the United States in terms of cost.
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