Rabat – Morocco has made significant progress in the development of renewable energy sources, including solar and wind power, and has set ambitious goals to further invest in the development of green hydrogen.
The 13th edition of the Round Tables of Arbois and the Mediterranean, co-organized by Morocco’s Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) France, was an opportunity to underline the country’s advances in renewable energy development, particularly in green hydrogen.
Speaking at the opening of the event on Wednesday, UM6P France’s Director Fahd Benkirane highlighted Morocco’s commitment and pioneering policies in developing infrastructure dedicated to renewable energy. He noted that this infrastructure contributes to increasing production and consolidating efforts to combat the climate crisis.
Benkirane gave the example of the Noor-Ouarzazate complex, one of the largest solar power plants in the world, noting that the cutting-edge solar project is part of Morocco’s clean or sustainable energy strategy.
“With such momentum, our goal of achieving 52% renewable energy by 2030, including green hydrogen, is within reach,” Benkirane stressed.
However, he emphasized the need for Morocco to secure “sovereignty” in terms of expertise and know-how, noting that this is partly the purpose behind UM6P’s establishment.
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With a strong focus on renewable energy research and development, the leading educational institution has made significant contributions to Morocco’s renewable energy development.
The UM6P’s Green H2 Cluster, which was the result of a partnership with the Institute for Research in Solar Energy and New Energies (IRESEN), “aims to make Morocco a world leader in the industrialization and development of green hydrogen,” Benkirane said.
He noted that UM6P continues to establish strategic partnerships at the national and international levels, notably to establish green ammonia pilots in the industrial sites of the OCP Group.
In addition, Benkirane emphasized the urgent need to tackle the climate crisis, saying: “In our daily lives, it [climate crisis] manifests itself tangibly in rising temperatures, natural disasters, loss of livelihoods, and depletion of ecosystems. One of the main catalysts of climate change is the role that conventional fossil fuels play in greenhouse gas emissions.”
Eric Berton, President of Aix-Marseille University, echoed Benkirane’s remarks, stressing the importance of investing in green hydrogen to achieve carbon neutrality in the future.
“To achieve carbon neutrality, it will obviously be necessary to consume less but also to produce more and in a carbon-free way,” Berton argued, stressing that this ambitious goal constitutes a real “challenge” for the world.
He also celebrated UM6P’s efforts to promote research and innovation in the renewable energy field, saying that the university is “very advanced” in regard to green hydrogen research.
Organized under the theme: “Hydrogen Tomorrow, Myths and Realities,” the Round Tables of Arbois is an annual multidisciplinary international conference that tackles science and technology-related issues.
