Swiss clean-energy company Synhelion plans to develop a synthetic fuel plant in Tan-Tan with capacity to produce 100,000 tonnes of renewable fuel a year.
The company signed a memorandum of understanding with the government on Tuesday and said it had already secured a land reservation for the project in Tan-Tan province, Guelmim-Oued Noun.
The agreement was signed with the ministries of Industry and Trade, Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, and Investment, Convergence and Evaluation of Public Policies, as well as the Moroccan Investment and Export Development Agency (AMDIE).
Synhelion produces synthetic jet fuel, diesel and gasoline using renewable energy and biogenic waste. The company says the fuels can be used in existing engines and fuel infrastructure without modification.
It says they can reduce net carbon dioxide emissions by up to 100pc compared with fossil fuels.
The Tan-Tan project is intended to take the technology to commercial-scale production.
Synhelion has also established a local branch, Synhelion Morocco, which has obtained Casablanca Finance City status.
Co-founder and co-CEO Gianluca Ambrosetti said the MoU, land reservation and establishment of the local branch meant the company was moving “from evaluation to execution”.
“Morocco’s exceptional renewable energy resources and its clear industrial strategy make it an ideal location for scaling our synthetic fuel technology,” he said.
Investment Minister Karim Zidane said the project could help create new industrial value chains and economic opportunities in Guelmim-Oued Noun.
Synhelion said it was evaluating locations around the world for commercial-scale synthetic fuel plants. The Tan-Tan facility would be its first commercial-scale plant in the region.
