Patrick Pouyanné, CEO of Total Energies, announced during the Combined General Meeting (Ordinary and Extraordinary) of shareholders of Total Energies SE which met on May 26, 2023 under his chairmanship, “Total Energies is studying a large wind project combined with solar in Morocco, with a view to exporting electricity to Europe“.
Morocco, thanks to a national policy of development of the green hydrogen segment, aims neither more nor less for the next decade to present itself as a leader on a world scale. That said, Total Eren will commit 10.69 billion dollars, or 100 billion dirhams, to a green hydrogen and ammonia production project in Guelmim-Oued Noun, a region located in southern Morocco and more precisely in the commune of Timelzoune.
Total Eren develops, finances, builds and operates renewable energy power plants (wind, solar, hydro) representing a gross capacity of 3,500 MW in operation worldwide. Total Energies, more focused on the rather fossil energy sector, is a 30% shareholder of Total Eren.
The hybrid project should generate more than 10 GW by combining solar and wind energy. Last November the green light for its launch was given by the Unified Regional Investment Commission (CRUI). This is an institution responsible for ruling on applications relating to administrative decisions and authorizations necessary for the implementation of investment projects.
A few hiccups remain, however. As, it seems, the area of the site to be granted 170,000 ha, while more is requested (187,000 ha) as well as a certain reluctance of the Executive to really commit. The Guelmim-Oued Noun project should enter its active phase by 2025, generating many opportunities (decarbonization of major sectors, creation of the Moroccan industrial energy sector, resulting in thousands of jobs, direct or indirect, etc.
Finally, as Patrick Pouyanné pointed out, the project will also serve Europe with clean energy. The first production is expected by 2027. Morocco plans to set up, by 2030, a local energy market of 4 terawatt hours (TWh) as well as an export market of 10 TWh.
In this line, Total Energy the company global multi-energy production and supply of energy (oil and biofuels, natural gas and green gas, renewables and electricity) is projecting itself towards the 2030 horizon for the implementation of its ambition in terms of sustainable development and energy transition towards carbon neutrality.
It has set itself the goal of devoting a third of its investments to low-carbon energies and reaching 100 GW of renewable electricity capacity by 2030. However, the company does not intend to give up fossil fuels., has indicated Patrick Pouyanné, who concluded his message to the GA by saying that “The urgency therefore consists to build the tomorrow’s energy system, while continuing to provide the energy the world needs today”.
This announcement was made as part of the presentation of the group’s climate strategy, to move away from fossil fuels more quickly, no offense to the French executive who is pressing for Total Energies to comply as quickly as possible. While the shareholders hasadopted all the resolutions approved by the Board of Directors at 89%, Hundreds of demonstrators tried to disrupt the holding of the general meeting (GA) of shareholders of Total Energies to denounce the ecological impact of the activities of the French group in fossil fuels.
Clashes and scuffles opposed demonstrators to the police, which prompted the latter to spray tear gas on protesters trying to force their roadblocks. At the opening of the GA, Patrick Pouyanné CEO of Total Energies, said he regretted these “exceptional measures”. “JI regret that this meeting cannot take place in a state as it should be – which I would say of dialogue – and in any case I hope that the dialogue will take place”, he said. In short, at the end of the GA, the shareholders, on site or online, adopted the group’s climate strategy, including the green hydrogen project for wind power combined with solar power in Morocco.
