Morocco’s Ports and the Global Hydrogen Shift: Powering Clean Shipping and Green Trade

The World Bank report argues that Morocco can become a global hub for green hydrogen by using its ports, especially Tanger Med, Jorf Lasfar, Mohammedia, and Tan-Tan to supply clean fuels to shipping, industry, and export markets. By coordinating these ports into an integrated value chain and backing them with strong policy and infrastructure, Morocco could turn maritime decarbonization into a major economic opportunity.

Produced by the World Bank in partnership with Morocco’s Ministry of Equipment and Water through the Direction des Ports et du Domaine Public Maritime, and supported by Royal HaskoningDHV, Gateway to Green Energy examines how Morocco could position itself at the heart of the global transition to green hydrogen. The research draws on contributions from national institutions such as the Agence Nationale des Ports, Tanger Med Special Agency, the Moroccan Agency for Sustainable Energy (Masen), and the Research Institute for Solar Energy and New Energies (IRESEN), alongside international partners including PROBLUE and the Public-Private Infrastructure Advisory Facility. Together, these actors explore how Morocco’s ports can evolve from traditional trade gateways into engines of a new clean-energy economy.

Why Shipping and Hydrogen Are Changing Everything

International shipping is under growing pressure to cut emissions. Responsible for nearly three percent of global greenhouse gases, the sector is now subject to firm climate rules set by the International Maritime Organization, which aims for net-zero emissions by or around 2050. In parallel, the European Union has extended its carbon market to shipping and introduced fuel rules that favor low-carbon alternatives. These policies are expected to make fossil fuels steadily more expensive while pushing shipowners toward new fuels. Green hydrogen, converted into ammonia or methanol, is widely seen as one of the few viable options to decarbonize long-distance shipping, as well as other hard-to-abate sectors such as fertilizers, steel, and aviation.

Morocco’s Natural Advantage in Green Hydrogen

The report argues that Morocco is exceptionally well placed to benefit from this shift. Its strong solar and wind resources allow it to produce renewable electricity at very low cost, which is the main driver of green hydrogen prices. Morocco is also close to Europe, which is expected to become the world’s largest importer of green hydrogen, and it has a long coastline with multiple ports open to global trade. These factors together give Morocco a structural advantage over many competitors. However, the study stresses that cheap production alone is not enough. The success of green hydrogen depends on the full value chain, including storage, transport, port handling, and reliable demand from ships and industry.

Four Ports, Four Different Strengths

To understand how this value chain could work in practice, the report assesses four port locations. Tanger Med, at the Strait of Gibraltar, stands out as Morocco’s main bunkering hub. Its position on major shipping routes means it can supply green fuels not only to ships calling at the port, but also to vessels passing through the Mediterranean and Atlantic corridors. However, limited space makes large-scale hydrogen production there difficult. Mohammedia, near Casablanca, has a different advantage: nearby salt caverns that could be used for low-cost hydrogen storage, helping stabilize supply across the system. Jorf Lasfar, Morocco’s largest industrial port, already handles large volumes of ammonia and is closely linked to fertilizer and steel production, making it ideal for domestic hydrogen use. Tan-Tan, in southern Morocco, emerges as the most promising production site thanks to excellent renewable resources and available land, even though it would require major new investments and skills development.

A Connected System and the Role of Policy

Rather than developing each port in isolation, the report proposes an integrated “Lighthouse Scenario.” In this vision, green hydrogen would be produced at scale near Tan-Tan, transported by pipeline to Mohammedia for storage, distributed to Jorf Lasfar for industry, and supplied to Tanger Med for ship bunkering and exports. This coordinated approach could significantly reduce costs compared to fragmented development. Still, green fuels remain much more expensive than fossil fuels today. Closing this gap will require strong policy support, including international carbon pricing, clear national safety rules, shared infrastructure, concessional finance, and early pilot projects such as a green bunkering trial at Tanger Med.

Gateway to Green Energy presents Morocco’s ports as more than logistical assets. With the right coordination and regulation, they could become strategic hubs linking renewable energy, global trade, and industrial transformation, allowing Morocco to turn climate action into long-term economic opportunity.