he African Development Bank released the four winners of its Africa Green Hydrogen Programme on September 18, and Morocco is among them with the Guelmim Green Hydrogen Valley, sponsored by Nareva Holding, which is allotted $5.28 million.
The call had drawn 81 proposals from 18 African countries. The other three winners are in Egypt, Namibia and South Africa, for a total envelope of $20 million.
The money will come from the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa, pending approval by the Bank’s Board of Directors. It serves one purpose only: to carry these projects to the point where an investor can finance them.
Together the four represent $23 billion of estimated investment, 20 GW equivalent of solar and wind capacity and 7 GW of electrolyzer capacity. Guelmim, like Egypt and Namibia, targets sustainable marine and aviation fuels.
The sum set aside for Guelmim looks trifling against those orders of magnitude, and that is exactly its purpose: a reimbursable preparation grant builds nothing, it makes a project bankable.
Photo: Vanbasten 23, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Banque africaine de développement - African Development Bank to back green hydrogen projects in Egypt, Morocco, Namibia and South Africa with grants worth a total of $20 million
Banque africaine de développement - African Development Bank’s Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa Launches Call for Proposals for New Green Hydrogen Programme
