Morocco Is ‘Well Positioned’ to Become Key Supplier of EV Batteries

Ben Guerir – With a $1 million budget, Morocco is currently investing in developing the technology to optimize the manufacturing process of Electric Vehicle (EV) batteries, Morocco’s Energy Minister Leila Benali said today.

Speaking at an international conference on EV batteries at the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) in Benguerir, Benali highlighted Morocco’s efforts to support the “transition from the scarce, high-cost cobalt, nickel, and magnesium to low-cost, widely available, and more efficient phosphate-based lithium EV batteries.”

Morocco currently holds roughly 70% of the global phosphate reserves, making it well-positioned to become a strong player in the emerging supply chain of phosphate-based lithium batteries.

The minister’s statement was delivered during the 13th annual International Conference on Advanced Lithium Batteries for Automobile Applications (ABAA-13) held for the first time in an African or Arab country.

During the event’s opening statements, UM6P President Hicham El Habti shed light on the significant annual growth within Morocco’s electric vehicle market, noting that “it has been growing at a rate of around 30%.”

“We could not have picked a better time and place to gather than today’s Morocco. For years now, our country has jumped in on energy transition with both feet, developing the necessary policies and infrastructure for that endeavor,” El Habti said of the UM6P’s hosting of the conference this year.

Regarding Morocco’s research and development (R&D) capabilities, the UM6P president pointed out that the university’s Material Science, Energy & Nanoengineering Department – also known as MSN – is diligently working to “optimize the lithium battery performance using the magic of materials science.”

The UM6P president further added that the “promising results are reinforced by the thoughtful leadership of ENSUS, our Sustainable Energy Chair that aims to make UM6P a hub for energy research and development, with the support of OCP Group, to accompany the country’s energy transition.”

Co-organized by UM6P, ENSUS, and International Automotive Lithium Battery (IALB), the ABAA-13 is attended by academics, government institutions, and players from the battery and automotive industry.

The participants are aiming to share their know-how, and the latest research and developments in advanced lithium batteries for automotive applications, including various types of EVs.

The event featured talks from representatives of government research institutions from all over the world, including the US Department of Energy.

Speakers unanimously stressed the need for a two-tier strategy to advance the EV lithium-ion industry.

According to Michael Berube from the US’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, in addition to supporting research into more cost-efficient batteries, governments should harness policies and tax incentives to invite the private sector to invest in the development of EV batteries.

EV batteries for automobile applications are at the heart of the contemporary discussion on decarbonizing the world economy. Currently, transportation is behind 22% of global greenhouse emissions, and supporting cost-efficient EV batteries would point the world in the right direction to face climate change.

Adopting EVs is already showing tangible results as the UM6P president noted. In 2021 alone, the industry helped cut an estimated 40 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.

Transitioning the manufacturing of batteries to phosphates is a promising venture of the EV market, as the extraction of other elements like cobalt has been fraught with reports of human rights abuses and geopolitical conflicts.