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Marrakech – Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) emerged as a key player at the fifth edition of Morocco’s Power-to-X Summit, held October 1-2 in Marrakech, showcasing its comprehensive approach to green hydrogen development that spans research, industrial pilots, and workforce training.
The university co-organized the event alongside the Ministry of Energy Transition, IRESEN, Green H2 Cluster, and MASEN. UM6P participated through its subsidiary Green Energy Park (GEP) and its affiliated venture builder INNOVX, which operates HydroJeel, a green hydrogen and ammonia production company.
The university’s involvement in the summit reflects its end-to-end role in Morocco’s hydrogen ecosystem. UM6P runs physical platforms, including the Green H2A facility at Jorf Lasfar, a joint UM6P-IRESEN-OCP platform with 4 megawatts of electrolysis capacity producing 4 tons of green ammonia daily.
It also operates a micro-pilot system at the Green Energy Park in Benguerir, Morocco’s first installed green hydrogen production system.
The summit focused on bankability, offtake contracts, certification, and export readiness. Key sessions included a high-level plenary on securing offtake with H2Global and MASEN, and panels on decarbonizing aviation, shipping, and road transport.
Morocco has earmarked up to one million hectares of public land for green hydrogen projects, with five investors pre-selected in March 2025 for six projects worth approximately $31.9 billion.
Research and development drive Morocco’s energy transition
Hicham Lalaoui Moutarajji, Pedagogical Manager at UM6P’s Laboratory of Inorganic Materials for Sustainable Energy Technologies (LIMSET), told Morocco World News (MWN) that the university operates along two main axes: research and innovative projects addressing Morocco’s energy sovereignty.
“We work on innovative projects, carrying out R&D to find sustainable energy solutions that address Morocco’s energy sovereignty and ensure a flexible and efficient energy transition for both Morocco and Africa,” Lalaoui Moutarajji explained.
The laboratory translates research into practical applications. Its work covers green hydrogen, batteries for energy storage, and various industrial applications. These research outcomes feed directly into teaching programs designed for both junior professionals seeking upskilling and senior executives requiring specialized training.
“The essential goal is to guarantee this transfer of knowledge and expertise to future Moroccan generations, enabling them to meet both national and global challenges in this domain,” Lalaoui Moutarajji said.
UM6P’s research infrastructure includes partnerships with Argonne National Laboratory for collaboration on green energy technology and grids.
The university has signed agreements to run electrolyzer pilots with Chariot and Oort Energy on its campus. A recent memorandum with OCP SBU Mining and EDF aims to use green hydrogen for “green drying” and mobility trials at UM6P’s Mining ARC in Benguerir.
Co-founded by UM6P and IRESEN, the Green Energy Park serves as a testing ground for photovoltaics, storage systems, smart grids, and hydrogen applications. Research groups at UM6P have published work on alkaline hydrogen production systems and novel materials for electrochemical devices.
Published studies examine control of solar variability, thermal integration, and efficiency mapping in kilowatt-scale systems. UM6P’s ACER and LIMSET teams focus on materials and devices for hydrogen production and reversible electrochemical systems.
Executive training prepares workforce for hydrogen economy
The university offers an executive master’s degree in green hydrogen that has reached its third cohort. The twelve-month program covers the entire hydrogen value chain through intensive one-week sessions for each module. Participants engage in practical workshops, case studies, and sessions with international experts.
“This executive master’s runs over twelve months, structured around intensive one-week sessions for each module,” Lalaoui Moutarajji noted. The curriculum addresses fundamentals, emerging technologies, including SWAC, alkaline, PEM, and AEM electrolysis, along with energy storage challenges.
The program includes modules on safety, health, and security. “Integrating a safety module is essential – a key ingredient for the success of the program and for the concrete realization of hydrogen projects,” Lalaoui Moutarajji stated.
Project structuring and technical aspects of developing hydrogen facilities form another core component. The program draws participants from Morocco’s major industrial entities, including OCP, GESA, INNOVX, UM6P, and the Public Laboratory for Testing and Studies. The current cohort includes international professionals from Mauritania and Tunisia.
“Individuals recognized the value of enrolling in this unique executive master’s – the only one of its kind in Morocco and the Arab world – and who see its potential to contribute to success across the African continent,” Lalaoui Moutarajji said.
Training timelines align with Morocco’s industrial ambitions. An engineer requires five years of training to operate new hydrogen facilities. Programs at UM6P, Green Energy Park, and national academic partners prepare the workforce for units expected to become operational between 2027 and 2032.
The university’s approach combines theoretical knowledge with hands-on experience at pilot facilities. Students gain exposure to real-world challenges in hydrogen production, storage, and application across different industrial sectors.
Industrial decarbonization links CO₂ and hydrogen strategies
Abdelghafour Zaabout, Associate Professor at UM6P’s Applied Chemistry and Engineering Research (ACER) Center of Excellence, specializing in decarbonization technologies, described his work on hard-to-abate industries. He told MWN that the university prepares technologies respecting Morocco’s specific industrial context.
“At UM6P, we do several things basically that are linked to preparing first through training and education, but second as well through R&D development so that we can prepare the technologies that can lead the decarbonization,” Zaabout explained.
The connection between carbon capture and hydrogen production forms a central element of the strategy. Zaabout outlined how captured CO₂ from specific industries can combine with hydrogen to create green molecules.
“The CO₂ that has been captured from specific industries to decarbonize can be combined with the hydrogen to make green molecules,” he said.
This approach positions CO₂ as an enabler rather than merely a waste product. “The CO₂ is an enabler of the hydrogen economy,” Zaabout noted. The university works extensively on identifying which technologies suit Morocco’s hard-to-decarbonize industries.
UM6P trains chemical engineers and process engineers to understand fundamental mechanisms underlying these technologies. The educational philosophy emphasizes economic viability alongside technical feasibility.
“We create the mindset that they can understand that no technological development for solving specific challenges can be made unless those technologies create an economic value for society and impact for society itself,” Zaabout stated.
The university’s decarbonization work connects directly to OCP’s green investment program and ENGIE-OCP frameworks for renewables and green ammonia feasibility. UM6P and HydroJeel provide research, pilots, and talent development supporting these broader industrial initiatives.
Renewable energy competitiveness determines hydrogen viability
Mohamed Bousseta, CEO of Green Energy Park, stressed renewable energy’s role in hydrogen economics. Speaking to MWN, he explained that competitiveness drives the entire ecosystem’s success.
“Renewable energy accounts for 70% of competitiveness in green hydrogen production. In other words, to produce one kilogram of competitive green hydrogen, 70% of the cost comes from the LCOE – the levelized cost of energy,” Bousseta said.
Green Energy Park serves as a research, innovation, and training center for renewable energies, particularly photovoltaics, thermal and electrochemical storage, energy efficiency, smart grids, and modeling. The facility operates as a UM6P and IRESEN subsidiary.
Meanwhile, the Green H2A platform under construction at Jorf Lasfar will test new technologies at scale. The facility features 4 megawatts of electrolysis capacity split between 2 megawatts PEM and 2 megawatts alkaline systems. It will produce 4 tons of green ammonia daily.
“The platform will have emulators designed to test profiles specific to southern Morocco, where the majority of industrial projects will be implemented,” Bousseta explained. These emulators allow testing under conditions matching actual deployment sites.
Bousseta pointed out that demonstrators prove critical for ecosystem development. “Because if we want to successfully develop this ecosystem, competitiveness is absolutely key. Competitiveness means achieving a competitive price, and that requires innovation across all domains,” he said.
Innovation must span renewable energy generation, hydrogen production technologies, and applications. The process includes electrolysis for splitting water molecules, nitrogen production, and ammonia synthesis combining hydrogen and nitrogen.
From pilots to industrial scale through venture building
UM6P’s approach extends beyond traditional academic boundaries into venture creation and industrial scale-up. INNOVX, the university’s affiliated venture builder, established HydroJeel specifically to execute green hydrogen and ammonia projects for OCP and export markets.
Operated by HydroJeel, the Jorf Hydrogen Platform targets 100,000 tons per year of green ammonia in its first phase. The project received a €30 million grant from Germany’s PtX Development Fund, administered by KfW and KGAL, to advance the demonstrator.
Morocco’s “Morocco Offer” policy framework, launched in March 2024, provides up to one million hectares of public land for hydrogen projects. The first 300,000 hectares entered active development. In March 2025, the steering committee pre-selected five investors for six projects valued at 319 billion dirhams across three southern regions.
Projects span green ammonia, e-fuels, and green steel production. TotalEnergies studies a 200,000-ton-per-year green ammonia export project near Guelmim-Oued Noun. OCP and ENGIE signed a multi-billion-euro memorandum covering renewables, green molecules, and desalination.
Tarfaya represents a scaling pathway with renewable ammonia production targeting approximately one million tons per year by 2027, expanding to three million tons by 2032. The project obtained renewable fuels of non-biological origin pre-certification, positioning it for European Union market access.
UM6P’s Green H2A facility partners with Proton Ventures of the Netherlands for turnkey pilot installation. The dual electrolyzer configuration with renewable load emulation creates a world-reference pilot setup. The system allows testing under variable solar and wind profiles matching southern Morocco conditions.
Process-use cases focus on mining applications where OCP operations provide immediate demand. Green hydrogen can replace fossil fuels for drying processes and mobile equipment. These anchor applications address the critical challenge of securing customers before production begins.
Strategic partnerships accelerate technology transfer and scale
International partnerships strengthen UM6P’s capabilities across the hydrogen value chain. The university signed a memorandum with 247Solar to study green hydrogen and ammonia production pathways linked to solar thermal and power platforms.
Partnerships with equipment manufacturers bring cutting-edge technology to Moroccan soil. Electrolyzer pilots with Chariot and Oort Energy allow testing of different system architectures under local conditions. The OCP SBU Mining partnership with EDF demonstrates process integration in industrial settings.
The Argonne National Laboratory collaboration provides access to high-performance computing, advanced materials research, and systems integration expertise. This connection accelerates the translation from laboratory research to operational plants.
Morocco’s geographic position supports export-oriented projects. Ports including Jorf Lasfar, Dakhla, and facilities near Guelmim offer Atlantic access to European and global markets. Summit discussions on port readiness and export corridors included Port of Rotterdam participation, signaling concrete logistics planning.
Since its establishment in 2024, Germany’s climate and energy alliance with Morocco positions the kingdom as a key supplier for European hydrogen demand. This framework provides policy backing for long-term offtake agreements and project financing.
The summit’s focus on certification and traceability reflects market requirements. INNOVX and Hinicio run Moroccan pilots for renewable fuels of non-biological origin certification. MED-GEM, an EU-funded initiative, coordinates pre-certification work essential for accessing European incentives and sustainable aviation fuel mandates.
Water supply through desalination co-located with renewable energy installations addresses a critical input. OCP and ENGIE plans integrate agricultural water needs with molecule production. Summit sessions examined water-energy nexus solutions.
Morocco’s hydrogen strategy targets replacing imported ammonia for fertilizers while creating export capacity. Green ammonia serves as both an industrial feedstock and a maritime fuel.
E-methanol and sustainable aviation fuel address shipping and aviation decarbonization. Early green steel projects leverage Morocco’s industrial base and respond to the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) dynamics.
UM6P’s comprehensive model combines scientific research, pilot-scale validation, workforce development, and venture creation. This integrated approach addresses the full spectrum of requirements for establishing a hydrogen economy.
The university’s platforms provide technology de-risking, operator training, and pathway validation from concept through commercial scale.
