"We at the EBRD are convinced that Morocco has one of the world's greatest potentials in green hydrogen, and more generally in green fuels," Sallé de Chou told MAP in an interview on the sidelines of the Annual Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

He added that the EBRD had carried out a study of its 37 countries of operation, which "clearly revealed that Morocco is positioned at the top in terms of its capacity to produce hydrogen at extremely competitive prices."

Sallé de Chou explained the Kingdom's advantage by its "unique wind and solar mix (...) There are countries with very high solar potential, and others with very high wind potential. But here, having this mix and being able to create capacity factors that can approach 70% for electrolysers is extremely competitive.”

He also pointed out that Morocco's proximity to the European market is an advantage for the country, noting that Europe, through the policies it has announced, aims to produce and import 10 million tonnes of green hydrogen, a very large proportion of which will be imported from North Africa.

On the question of the involvement of Moroccan companies in Africa, Sallé de Chou noted Morocco's "very detailed knowledge of African markets,” through the expansion of its major groups on the continent and, increasingly now, of mid-sized companies.

Morocco is an essential partner, but above all perhaps a platform and an entry point for approaching the African continent, he said