The development of Morocco’s green hydrogen industry has reached a new milestone. ORNX has secured a US$5.7 million grant from the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) to finance the preliminary engineering studies for the first phase of its future green ammonia production complex in Laâyoune.
This funding will support the technical, economic, financial, environmental, and regulatory feasibility studies that are essential for bringing the project to fruition. These studies will be carried out by the U.S.-based engineering firm KBR, in collaboration with GE Vernova, Electric Hydrogen, and Terabase Energy, bringing together several leading players in advanced energy technologies.
Selected in 2025 under Morocco’s Green Hydrogen Offer, the project involves the construction of a facility capable of producing approximately 560,000 tonnes of green ammonia per year. The production will rely on green hydrogen generated from renewable energy sources, with the objective of meeting the growing international demand for low-carbon fuels and feedstocks.
Beyond its industrial scale, the initiative marks an important milestone for Morocco’s Southern Provinces. It is the first grant awarded by a U.S. federal agency to a project located in this region, reflecting the growing interest of international partners in Laâyoune’s outstanding renewable energy potential.
According to Duke Buchan III, U.S. Ambassador to Morocco, the funding opens a new chapter in the economic partnership between Rabat and Washington. It demonstrates a shared commitment to encouraging investment, fostering technological innovation, and strengthening clean energy value chains.
The project is also expected to generate significant economic benefits, including the creation of skilled jobs, the development of local expertise, and the emergence of an industrial ecosystem centered on green hydrogen and its derivatives.
For Morocco, this latest development reinforces the national strategy aimed at leveraging its vast renewable energy resources to become a leading global supplier of green molecules. With some of the world’s most competitive solar and wind resources, the Kingdom seeks to attract large-scale industrial investment and position itself among the future leaders of the global hydrogen economy.
