Morocco, Spain well-positioned for green hydrogen.
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.
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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.
Mohamed Attari 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.
“We definitely hope the relations between the countries get better, but what we are mostly concerned about as a company is to ensure we do our part in protecting the climate and preserving the environment,” said Attari.
He added 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. Thanks for staying up to date with Hydrogen Central.
Morocco already has electricity interconnections with Spain, which is suffering from high gas and energy prices. In September 2021, the Spanish government introduced temporary legislative measures to reduce prices for consumers until at least 31 March 2022, and they are eager to find solutions to their energy problems.
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.
While Algeria insists this cut will not decrease their LNG flow to Spain, according to Reuters, “Analysts say technical issues relating to Algeria’s plans to expand the capacity of the Medgaz pipeline could escalate the energy crisis in Spain at a time of soaring gas bills across Europe.”
Meanwhile, Spain and Morocco have been eager to attempt to fill the gap Algeria created.
Morocco’s Energy Transition and Sustainable Development Minister, Leila Benali, opened a contract bid for a group of LNG traders with a five-year minimum contract. Spain’s ecological transition ministry positively responded to news of the bid that Spanish LNG terminals are open for Morocco.
Spain is not the exclusive target market for the Greenslate and MAI deal. “The spirit of the contract is global, and the idea is to combine the expertise that both companies have accumulated in their worldwide presence, to serve projects that are green and sustainable wherever they may be,” said Attari.
Morocco, Spain Well-Positioned for Green Hydrogen, Renewable Energy, February 21, 2022
