Sweden’s S2H2+Bm taps into Morocco’s green hydrogen market: Swedish green hydrogen developer S2H2+Bm plans to develop solar energy and biomass generation projects in Morocco in a bid to establish a large-scale green hydrogen plant in the African country by 2030, the company noted in a White Paper (pdf). The expected investment ticket for the project was not disclosed.

The details: The Swedish developer aims to launch operations on a 3.1 MW pilot phase of the project in 2025 by installing a 15 MW solar energy farm to power the first stage of the project. The company plans to gradually expand renewables capacity between 2025 and 2030 to reach its full 500k ton annual targeted production capacity by the end of the decade, the paper notes. The location of the plant was not disclosed, but the firm notes it will likely be established in the southern half of Morocco, a region which S2H2+Bm describes as having “world-class” solar irradiation.

Leveraging solar and biomass to bring down hydrogen costs: The company’s patented solar panel technology, which involves installation of PV arrays at elevated heights, provides 50% shade compared to conventional setups, enabling potential biomass production on desert lands where plants typically get fried due to lack of soil moisture. The company says its renewables and biomass production technique will allow it to produce green hydrogen at a levelized cost of energy (LCOE) of less than USD 2 per hydrogen kg. “We are different in that we are not leaning on some new and fancy electrolyzer technology, but rather the cost factors of producing extremely low-cost renewable energy, in our case solar. By inventing a completely new concept for panel mounting we have achieved an LCOE below anything on record,” the company’s CEO Magnus Pousette said in the paper.

Export plans in the works: The company plans to use its Moroccan green hydrogen hub to facilitate fuel exports to the EU, initially using high pressure tubes to facilitate shipments, with plans to later use purpose-built tankers, the paper reads.

Next steps: The company — which says it has another planned Morocco green hydrogen plant “under ramp up” — is currently going through the land allocation process with the Moroccan government, and is in talks with the cabinet on the process of securing formal operating approvals and permits. To expand development of its patented technology and expand its marketing operations, the company plans to raise more capital beyond the USD 670k it has so far secured during its upcoming funding round in 1Q 2024, the paper notes.

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