Morocco's green hydrogen ambition strong but regulatory framework lacking, UNIDO report finds

While Morocco has established an ambitious strategic framework, including a national hydrogen commission in 2019 and the "Morocco Offer" initiative in 2021, the report highlights structural deficiencies that could hinder investment, sustainability, and local value creation. These include a lack of specific health and safety standards for hydrogen, no just transition strategy for carbon-intensive sector workers, and no legal obligation for consultation with local communities before project implementation. Environmental regulations, such as Law 49-17 on impact studies, lack explicit provisions for hydrogen facilities, leading to legal uncertainty.

Furthermore, Morocco lacks a specific certification regime for hydrogen, unlike electricity, which could expose exporters to additional costs under the European Union's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism CBAM, which includes hydrogen from this year. The report also notes the absence of a dedicated authorization framework for green hydrogen projects, requiring developers to navigate a complex web of general regulations without a unified procedure. Interministerial coordination on hydrogen is deemed "limited" or "ineffective" by 91% of institutions surveyed.

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