Morocco collaborates with Spain on green hydrogen, renewable energy

By Nneka Nwogwugwu

The International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), has identified Morocco among the countries that can potentially emerge as leading global suppliers for green hydrogen by 2050.

Green-minded small and medium businesses that partner with more established international businesses may help propel Morocco further and faster into becoming a global green energy developer, according to the energy agency.

Moroccan startup Greensleet and Spanish Mercados-Aries International signed a partnership agreement on January 25 aiming to collaborate on projects such as renewable energy, green hydrogen, and water desalination.

While other North African companies struggle to organize their “massive” resources, Morocco ranked 16th and Spain 10th on the top 40 countries of the Renewable Energy Country Attractiveness Index (RECAI), putting this partnership in a good position to assess mutually beneficial collaboration.

Morocco and Spanish diplomatic relationships have faced occasional flare-ups over other issues, but they are steadily increasing private and public partnerships in natural energy projects.

The Moroccan startup Greenslate Founder Mohamed Attari is not dissuaded by the tumultuous relations. He reiterated to Morocco World News that the “great potential and strategic position of Morocco, Spain (and EU in general) could benefit greatly from projects that can be exporting to it green energy or green fuels.” But his primary concern is a principled one.

Attari said that “Greensleet pursues projects that develop green energy for the new world.” Recently, Greensleet was nominated as Technical Advisor of the Year 2021 in Europe and Africa by IJ Global Awards.

Algeria supplies liquified natural gas (LNG) to Spain through the Medgaz undersea pipeline, but in 2021 Algeria cut off the route of supply it sent via a Moroccan pipeline.