Potentials of the Morocco-EU hydrogen partnership

The coming decades could mean a significant boost for hydrogen production in North Africa, as for example a study by the auditing and consulting firm Deloitte shows. The war in Ukraine and the looming threat of climate change are driving the strategic need to diversify sources of energy, including renewables. Therefore, the European Union aims to develop energy relations with non-EU member states, and Morocco has become a key priority in this regard. As such, hydrogen and energy transition policies include complex relations to partners, aspects that are also relevant for iron as an energy carrier.

Against this background and relevance of such energy partnerships of the future, researchers from Clean Circles have examined the potentials and risks of a hydrogen partnership between Morocco and the EU in a study that has been published in Middle East Policy.

Both Brussels and Rabat are pursuing ambitious green policies and cooperation initiatives, including on hydrogen. Drawing on theories of international institutions and political economy, the article analyzes hydrogen-related relationship patterns and explains demand and supply factors as drivers of institutionalized energy cooperation. The researchers from Clean Circles examine the EU’s hydrogen approach and development, its relations with Morocco, and the political interests of both sides. The analysis shows that the complex interdependencies in the evolving EU-Morocco hydrogen relations indicate that demand can be met by supply. However, challenges remain, including the need to deepen the partnership and prepare the market for commercial hydrogen production.