Production and transport infrastructure of green H2 in Morocco towards Europe: technical analysis and geopolitical and territorial implications

Abstract

This thesis analyses the production of green hydrogen in Morocco and its potential transport to Europe from a technical, economic, geopolitical and social perspective. It starts from the idea that green hydrogen should not be understood as a universal solution for decarbonisation, but as an energy vector whose value depends on how it is produced, transported, used and governed. Morocco is used as the main case study because of its strong solar and wind resources, its proximity to Europe, its existing energy links with Spain and its growing national strategy around green hydrogen. At the same time, the Moroccan case raises questions about infrastructure scale, water use, land governance, European demand and unequal forms of energy cooperation. The thesis combines a techno-economic model with a broader critical analysis. The quantitative model evaluates a hybrid renewable system composed of 300 MWp of solar photovoltaic capacity, 200 MW of onshore wind and a 200 MW electrolyser. Under the base assumptions, this system produces approximately 22,293.7 tonnes of hydrogen per year, with an electrolyser load factor of 66.63%. The delivered levelised cost of hydrogen is estimated at around 3.56 EUR/kg H₂ in Europe. The results show that production and transport are technically plausible, but that a single 200 MW electrolyser project would be too small to justify large cross-border pipeline infrastructure on its own. In the case of the existing Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline, the main challenges are not only hydraulic, but also material, regulatory and operational. The main conclusion is that Morocco has real potential to become a relevant green hydrogen and green ammonia actor, but this potential is conditional. The corridor will depend on project scale, financing conditions, European certification rules, domestic industrial integration and fair governance of water, land and local participation. The thesis argues that the most credible pathway is not a purely export-oriented model, but a phased strategy that first strengthens domestic value creation, especially through green ammonia and fertilizer production. Overall, a Morocco-Europe green hydrogen corridor can be technically plausible and economically credible, but it will only be socially legitimate if it is designed as a balanced partnership rather than a simple supply chain. Green hydrogen can support both Morocco’s energy transition and Europe’s decarbonisation, but only if it avoids extractive dynamics and contributes to long-term industrial, territorial and social value.