As part of a joint venture, the Australian company Fortescue Energy and the Moroccan group OCP (Office Chérifien des Phosphates) will invest in the research and development of the green hydrogen sector in Morocco. The ultimate aim is to produce green hydrogen and its by-products, in particular green ammonia.
Hydrogen is presented as a future solution for the ecological transition. The Cherifian kingdom wants to play a leading role in the coming years, notably through its “Morocco Offer” recently published by the government. Fortescue Energy, a subsidiary of the Australian mining giant Fortescue Metals, and the OCP group (Office chérifien des phosphates) should help to implement this policy.
The two entities have now agreed to launch a joint venture to enable “the potential development of manufacturing facilities and a research and development (R&D) centre to advance Morocco’s rapidly growing renewable energy industry”, says the OCP Group. Specifically, the joint venture will be supported by an R&D and technology centre located next to the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P) near Marrakech.
The aim is to produce green hydrogen on a large scale
R&D will focus on renewable energies, green hydrogen and mineral processing. “Together, Fortescue and OCP will build a world-leading and globally competitive platform to support Morocco on its journey towards green energy production, manufacturing and industrial power,” promises Andrew Forrest, Fortescue’s Executive Chairman and founder.
Read also- Green hydrogen: outline of Morocco’s new strategy
This collaboration could lead to the large-scale production of clean electricity thanks to Morocco’s immense solar and wind energy potential. Through electrolysis, this electricity will be transformed into green ammonia, a by-product of green hydrogen, which is used in the manufacture of nitrogen fertilisers. This is a new sector in which Fortescue is in the process of gaining a foothold.
Partnerships in several countries
On Wednesday 10 April 2024, the Australian group inaugurated its first automated electrolyser production line, with a capacity of 2 GW, at Gladstone in Queensland, Australia. At the same time, the Group has signed agreements with several African governments for the development and production of green ammonia.
Through its subsidiary Fortescue Future Industries (FFI), the Australian group has begun talks with the Egyptian government in 2022 to develop 9.2 GW of electrolysis capacity. On the sidelines of COP27 in Egypt, billionaire Andrew Forrest approached the Kenyan authorities to propose a 300 MW project near the Naivasha geothermal field, with a view to producing green ammonia. Fortescue has also signed partnerships for investments in green hydrogen and its derivatives in South Africa and Namibia.
Jean Marie Takouleu
