An agreement was signed on 4 July in Rabat between IRESEN (French for Research Institute for Solar Energy and New Energies), SATT Paris-Saclay and AFD (French Development Agency).

This partnership, which was announced last April during a visit by Bruno Le Maire, the French Minister for the Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty, reaffirms the importance of Morocco as a key partner for France. Backed by an €800,000 grant from AFD and the French Treasury, the agreement provides for the launch of a call for innovative projects dedicated to the low-carbon hydrogen industry during the 4th quarter of 2024.

The agreement is part of “a broader dynamic of bilateral cooperation aimed at supporting Morocco’s energy transition strategy and developing innovative technological solutions to meet global climate challenges. By making a significant contribution to the Kingdom’s energy transition, this agreement illustrates the desire of both countries to work closely together for a more sustainable future”.

The call for projects will enable innovative initiatives led by French-Moroccan teams to be selected and backed over a three-year period.

IRESEN will be responsible for the administrative and technical management of the call for projects, providing financial and technological support for the projects selected, and access to shared expertise and infrastructure, in particular the “GREEN H2A” platform dedicated to carbon-free hydrogen R&D. In addition, the involvement of the Société d’Accélération du Transfert de Technologies (SATT) of Paris-Saclay will enhance this partnership in terms of the development and transfer of the technologies developed towards commercialisation and marketing.

Do you want to learn more about Morocco and hydrogen? You can read our articles on the country here.

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Article written by Laurent Meillaud and translated by Mariem Ben Tili