Morocco

We are committed to empowering partner countries to leverage green hydrogen and ammonia for sustainable industrial development - including the fertiliser industry.At the World Without Hunger Conference in Addis Ababa (November 5-7, 2024), our team hosted a side event on green ammonia and low-carbon fertilizers, highlighting the critical role of sustainable agriculture in ensuring food security across Africa.Our work includes green ammonia training sessions (for example, this year, we organized training with Groupe Chimique Tunisien in Gabès) and a planned study to assess the economic viability and industrial potential of green ammonia and low-carbon fertilizers across the African continent. These efforts are part of our broader mission to support clean hydrogen application in industry.Why Low-Carbon Fertilizer Can Be A Game-Changer:60% of Africa's population relies on agriculture, so affordable fertilizers are crucial for food security.Fertilizer production accounts for up to 2% of global GHG emissions; green ammonia can reduce these by around 90%.Africa faces a 5-million-metric-ton fertilizer shortfall annually; localized green ammonia can help bridge this gap sustainably.What We Can Achieve:Low-Carbon Fertilizer Production: Helping reduce agriculture's carbon footprint by advancing green ammonia from renewable sources.Supporting Local Industrialization: Empowering partner countries to develop their own fertilizer industries, reducing import dependency and promoting sustainable agriculture.Strengthening Food Security: Integrating green ammonia strengthens food systems and boosts low-carbon agriculture.One notable partnership is our collaboration with the Daures Green Hydrogen Village in Namibia, a pilot project focused on green ammonia and low-carbon fertilizers, demonstrating local application potential and scalability.UNIDO also envisages working closely with Moroccan fertilizer producer OCP Group to explore green ammonia and low-carbon fertilizer solutions.With these ongoing efforts and future initiatives, UNIDO's Global Programme for Hydrogen in Industry can help pave the way for low-carbon fertilizer and more climate-friendly agriculture across Africa.  We recently launched our Clean Hydrogen Solution page: Green Ammonia for Low Carbon Fertilizer | UNIDO

Rabat: The official launch of our Green Climate Fund (GCF) Readiness Project marks a significant milestone in Morocco’s journey toward a sustainable, low-carbon future. This UNIDO's initiative aims to accelerate Morocco’s transition to green hydrogen, with a particular focus on decarbonizing the steel industry—a critical sector in the country’s efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 45.5% by 2030, as outlined in its Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC).The project aligns with Morocco’s Green Hydrogen Roadmap and broader national strategies, positioning the country as a future leader in the global green hydrogen market.As part of the launch, the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development of Morocco and UNIDO hosted the workshop “Developing an Industrial Policy for Green Hydrogen in Morocco” with participation from key national stakeholders.The first session introduced UNIDO’s Policy Toolkit, emphasizing downstream market creation strategies linked to the new “Morocco Offer.” Discussions explored policy options to strengthen Morocco’s green hydrogen value chain, including investment, demand creation, and infrastructure development.The second session focused on the GCF project’s studies on green hydrogen application in Morocco’s steel industry, providing a platform for stakeholders to share insights on existing policies and identify development opportunities.Following the workshop, the first Steering Committee meeting was convened. The Committee approved the project’s work plan, laying a solid foundation for the next steps in implementation. Discussions underscored the importance of coordinated efforts among all partners to advance Morocco's green hydrogen ambitions. 

RABAT, 16 May 2022 – Gerd Müller, Director General of the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), is making an official visit to the Kingdom of Morocco to discuss future cooperation between UNIDO and Morocco.The Director General met with Aziz Akhannouch, Head of Government of Morocco, and agreed on stronger cooperation and a new joint initiative on green hydrogen.Müller said, “Together, we have achieved great success in many areas to advance industrial development in the country. We have cooperated on more than 250 projects, and in 2019 we signed a new framework for cooperation: the Programme for Country Partnership. Today, we renew our commitment to take this cooperation further.”During a meeting with Ryad Mezzour, Minister of Industry and Trade, the two agreed to join forces to accelerate the Programme for Country Partnership, implement a road map for the decarbonization of industry and mobilize green funding. They also launched a portal on industrial zones, jointly developed with MCA-Morocco (a programme agreed by Morocco and the US Millennium Challenge Corporation) to promote investment in industry and strengthen competitiveness.In a second joint declaration, signed by Müller, Mezzour, and Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, UNIDO and Morocco agreed to accelerate the use of green hydrogen in industry.Mezzour said, “This new impetus given to our partnership will promote the emergence of highly relevant projects responding to the major challenges of our industry, particularly in terms of industrial decarbonization and resilient, inclusive and sustainable development, as well as the priorities of the Kingdom’s New Development Model. It will undoubtedly contribute to achieving our goal of making Morocco the most competitive low-carbon industrial base in the world.”For his part, Müller underlined, “UNIDO will provide strong support to the implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework, which directly contributes to Morocco`s New Development Model. As we join forces with other UN agencies, UNIDO will use its partnership platform to support Morocco in renewable energy, a circular economy and data-driven industry to realize ambitious decarbonization goals for the industrial sector and the Sustainable Development Goals”.The UNIDO delegation started the mission in Morocco by visiting the Mohammed V Mausoleum to pay tribute to the late sovereigns, King Hassan II and King Mohammed V.

MARRAKESH, 22 June 2022 - Director General Gerd Müller delivered an opening address at the World PtX Summit in Marrakesh, Morocco. The World PtX Summit is organized in a joint effort between the Moroccan Research Institute for Solar Energy and New Energies (IRESEN) and the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University with the aim of creating a regional platform dedicated to green hydrogen. Speaking via a video link, Müller talked about the future of green hydrogen as a lever for the transition towards more sustainable industry.