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Benguerir – The Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) and the OCP Group signed on Friday an agreement to become the main partners of the “Climate Impulse” project.
Climate Impulse is a groundbreaking planned expedition to circumnavigate the globe in 2028 aboard a hydrogen-powered, zero-emission aircraft. The initiative is spearheaded by Dr. Bertrand Piccard, a trailblazer in clean technologies, and Raphaël Dinelli, a seasoned navigator and composite materials engineer.
At the signing ceremony, all three parties spoke emphatically of how this unprecedented journey can revolutionize the aviation industry and beyond by showcasing innovative solutions in sectors traditionally seen as hard to decarbonize.
At the core of the initiative’s vision is the urgency to contribute to making air traveling greener and more efficient, they suggested.
Prominent figures who attended the signing ceremony included Bertrand Piccard, the president of Climate Impulse, and Ilham Khadri, the CEO of Syensqo.
A major technological breakthrough in the aviation sector
As a sustainability-driven aircraft development initiative, Climate Impulse took off in 2022, fueled by extensive research, feasibility studies, and design efforts, backed by industry giants.
The momentum surged in 2024 with Syensqo joining as the first major partner, propelling the project forward under the wing of 49SUD, an engineering firm specialized in manufacturing mobility and new energy technologies. Dinelli, the innovative engineer and Climate Impulse co-pilot, led these developments, alongside Piccard.
This partnership represents a major technological breakthrough contributing to the decarbonization of the aviation sector and serves as a flagship for the clean technology sector, the partners indicated in a press statement before this week’s signing ceremony.
UM6P and OCP Group’s contribution to this project alongside Syensqo underscores their commitment to this vision, the statement stressed. It went on to explain that the partnership reflects their determination to play an active role in advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goal on climate action, supporting global initiatives for a sustainable future.
While officializing their partnership on Friday, the three parties pledged to address the technical challenges associated with Climate Impulse, such as managing the extreme temperatures required to maintain liquid hydrogen at -253°C throughout an estimated nine-day flight.
Leading the charge in decarbonization solutions
In particular, UM6P President Hicham El Habti highlighted to the press the unique opportunity this project represents for the university’s researchers and students.
“Today, we signed a partnership between OCP, UM6P, and Climate Impulse. The aim of this project is to develop the first plane that will use hydrogen as fuel by 2028 and to do the tour of the world in 9 days,” El Habti told Morocco World News on the sidelines of the signing ceremony.
“We are delighted to participate in the Climate Impulse project. This collaboration is a unique opportunity for our researchers and students to work on pioneering solutions to climate challenges. We are determined to play a key role in promoting sustainability through innovation and research,” he stressed.
While echoing these sentiments, Picard added a fresh outlook on the initiative’s impact. The new green hydrogen aircraft project is part of an effort to explore new ways of thinking and working sustainably, with UM6P, OCP Group, and Syensqo playing a crucial role in making this quest for efficient and more responsible air travel a reality,” he explained.
A serial explorer, medical doctor, psychiatrist, and pioneer of clean technologies, Piccard has made history with his achievements in aviation, including a non-stop round-the-world balloon flight and a solar-powered round-the-world flight.
His work on the Climate Impulse project notably aims to advance progress, sustainability, and quality of life through innovative and clean technologies. During Friday’s signing ceremony, he sounded unmistakably upbeat as he cheerfully argued that it is possible to address ecological challenges without harming economic development.
‘This collaboration aims to highlight Morocco’s potential as an emerging leader in the green hydrogen field and demonstrate its significant role in developing sustainable and innovative solutions on an international scale,” he said.
“Beyond the first non-stop, zero-emission world tour with a hydrogen aircraft, the goal of Climate Impulse is to bring together innovation leaders and key technology players to engage the economic, industrial, and educational sectors in climate action.”
He especially welcomed OCP Group and UM6P’s support of, and interest in the project, stressing how their contribution has helped turn into reality this revolutionary idea of making the aviation industry more efficient and more ecologically responsible. “The arrival of OCP Group and UM6P will enable significant advances for this project by involving as many students as possible, putting innovation at the service of sustainability,” Picard explained.
Morocco’s drive for green energy and reduced emissions
This project comes as Morocco is intensifying its efforts to enhance green energy production and slash greenhouse gas emissions as part of its commitment to sustainable development.
In recent years, both independent reports and official communication by the Moroccan government have captured the North African country’s efforts to mitigate the environmental impact of urbanization and industrialization while fostering sustainable economic growth.
By prioritizing green energy development and emissions reduction, argues a June 2021 policy brief by the Policy Center for the New South, Morocco is positioning itself as a leader in the transition to a low-carbon economy while contributing to global climate action.
Hanane Mourchid, Chief Sustainability & Innovation Officer at OCP Group, represented the Moroccan company at the signing ceremony on Friday. Also welcoming what he described as a flagship project for the global drive towards more efficiency and a greener worldwide economy, she appeared to reaffirm Morocco’s attachment to its sustainability commitments.
Climate Impulse represents a “pioneering effort in the crucial development of technologies to advance decarbonization solutions,” Mourchid argued, stressing that OCP Group is “proud to contribute to the project.”
As the senior OCP official went to highlight the significance of this joint venture, she emphasized that CLima Impulse “concretely demonstrates the opportunities to move towards a decarbonized economy based on green hydrogen.”
She concluded by calling Climate Impulse a “magnificent and hopeful project,” underlining OCP Group’s satisfaction with being part of a partnership that promises to set a blueprint for international cooperation to achieve sustainability goals.
