As the transition to a low-carbon industry accelerates globally, Morocco is finding its niche. A report from the Mission Possible Partnership (MPP), relayed by Reuters and Mining.com, reveals that the Kingdom is now among the main beneficiaries of the first major flows of funding allocated to decarbonized materials. The country captures a significant share of a rapidly structuring market, where $250 billion has already been committed, even though this amount is still far from the $1.6 trillion needed to trigger a global industrial transformation.
A central role in the “new industrial hemisphere”
Morocco, alongside other emerging countries like Indonesia, is part of what the report describes as the “new global industrial hemisphere.” These states now concentrate nearly 60% of the investment chain for projects still seeking funding. This strategic turning point reflects a shift in industrial power, previously dominated by Western economies. By comparison, the United States accounts for only 18% of future projects, the European Union 10%, and China 6%.
This rebalancing is explained by more favorable energy conditions: an abundance of green electricity, stable networks, and more competitive production costs. These criteria are now crucial for the establishment of new energy-intensive factories, according to Faustine Delasalle, director of the MPP and a member of the Industrial Transition Accelerator (ATI), created at COP28 in Dubai.
Green ammonia and low-carbon steel in focus
Among the sectors deemed strategic for this transition, green ammonia occupies a central place. Used for the production of fertilizers, as well as clean fuels in aviation, this compound is increasingly attracting investor interest. Morocco, already well-positioned in the fertilizer sector through the OCP group, could become a key player in this new value chain, provided it attracts the necessary funding for industrial conversion.
In the steel industry, the report lists thirty-three steelworks already aligned with the goal of carbon neutrality. However, it is ninety other projects, awaiting funding, that will determine the future of this sector. The aluminum industry is also active, with forty-four projects launched and one hundred sixty-five still in the pipeline.
A call for action from funders
For this industrial shift to materialize, the MPP calls for massive mobilization of public and private financial actors. Otherwise, the organization warns, the global industrial system will remain trapped in the high-emission technologies inherited from the 20th century.
Morocco, bolstered by its proactive policy on renewable energies, institutional stability, and clear industrial ambitions, could play a pivotal role in this global transformation. However, investment flows must follow. The coming years will be decisive in determining whether the Kingdom can consolidate its status as a decarbonized industrial hub within this emerging economic order.
With Barlamane