Casablanca – Morocco is examining a potential long-distance hydrogen transport network that could connect production areas in the south with industrial, storage and export centers in the country’s central and northern regions. A recent academic study has modeled a 900-kilometer dedicated pipeline between Tan-Tan and Mohammedia, combined with coastal maritime transport to Jorf Lasfar and Tanger Med.
The proposed configuration reflects the growing focus on infrastructure as Morocco develops plans for a domestic green hydrogen sector. Rather than examining production facilities in isolation, the study considers how hydrogen could move between renewable energy production areas, storage facilities, industrial users and ports serving international markets.
The model brings together four main locations: Tan-Tan, Mohammedia, Jorf Lasfar and Tanger Med. It examines the network under scenarios extending to 2030, 2040 and 2050, with the aim of identifying an economically and technically viable way to handle increasing hydrogen volumes as production and demand develop.
Tan-Tan occupies the starting point in the proposed network because of its combination of solar and wind resources. Southern Morocco has been identified as an area with significant potential for renewable energy production, an important factor for green hydrogen, which is produced using renewable electricity to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.
Under the study’s assumptions, hydrogen produced around Tan-Tan would be transported north through a dedicated pipeline to Mohammedia. The latter would function as a central storage and distribution point before supplies are sent toward industrial and export destinations.
The model estimates that hydrogen flows through the Tan-Tan-Mohammedia pipeline could reach about 786,000 tons a year by 2030. This volume would increase to 2.214 million tons in 2040 before reaching approximately 4.279 million tons annually by 2050. The projected increase illustrates the scale of infrastructure that could eventually be required if Morocco’s hydrogen production and related industrial activities expand as expected.
Mohammedia’s role in the proposed network is linked partly to the possibility of underground hydrogen storage. The study assumes salt caverns located approximately 17 kilometers from the city, with potential storage capacity of up to 3 million tons. Such facilities could allow hydrogen to be stored before being distributed according to industrial requirements or export schedules.
Storage is particularly important in the model because the economic case for a long-distance pipeline depends on more than the amount of hydrogen transported. The researchers found that assessing the pipeline simply as a transportation facility would make it more difficult to justify its investment cost. Combining transport with large-scale storage improves its economic performance within the assumptions used in the study.
From Mohammedia, the proposed network would rely on coastal maritime transport to connect with Jorf Lasfar and Tanger Med rather than extending dedicated hydrogen pipelines to both ports. Jorf Lasfar would be associated with industrial demand, including potential production of green ammonia and green steel, while Tanger Med would provide access to maritime transport and European export markets.
By 2050, the model estimates that around 1.438 million tons of hydrogen a year could be directed from Mohammedia toward Jorf Lasfar, while approximately 2.842 million tons could move toward Tanger Med. These figures place the four locations within a broader logistics system linking renewable production, storage, industrial conversion and international trade.
The economic estimates vary according to the infrastructure configuration being considered. One study scenario puts the capital cost of the main Tan-Tan-Mohammedia pipeline at about $1.35 billion, based on an assumed cost of $1.5 million per kilometer. Another assessment of the complementary branches in the modeled corridor estimates capital requirements of around $570 million. The wider hybrid corridor, when evaluated using the study’s net present value methodology and including the main pipeline and coastal shipping connections, is estimated at roughly $10.8 billion.
The model also compares different transportation arrangements. In the scenario combining the pipeline with maritime connections, the theoretical levelized cost of green ammonia is estimated at $1,176 per ton. This compares with about $1,186 per ton under a configuration relying on pipelines for all connections and approximately $1,233 per ton in a scenario based entirely on coastal maritime transport.
Infrastructure utilization is another factor highlighted by the research. Average use of the modeled infrastructure remains below 36%, suggesting that the system would need demand to increase progressively to achieve higher utilization rates. This reflects one of the central challenges facing large hydrogen infrastructure projects: pipelines, storage facilities and port infrastructure can require substantial upfront investment before production and demand reach full scale.
The researchers also examined the engineering performance of the proposed pipeline through digital twin technology. Their simulation indicates that transporting the projected 2050 volumes over a route of around 900 kilometers could result in a pressure decline of approximately 8.5 bar. Within the assumptions used, the researchers considered this manageable while retaining an operating margin at the Mohammedia end of the pipeline.
The proposed network fits into Morocco’s broader plans to expand renewable energy and develop a domestic green hydrogen value chain. Morocco has set a target of reaching around 15 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030, while dozens of renewable energy projects have been developed or announced in recent years. The country has also been working to attract investment in green hydrogen production, derivatives such as ammonia and synthetic fuels, and associated industrial activities.
The potential development of hydrogen infrastructure is closely connected to Morocco’s geographic position. Production based on abundant renewable resources in the south could be linked to established industrial zones and ports farther north, while Tanger Med offers a major maritime gateway toward European and other international markets. Jorf Lasfar, meanwhile, already has a major industrial and port presence that could support hydrogen-derived products.
The study’s proposed route also illustrates the importance of integrating hydrogen production with existing infrastructure rather than treating each project separately. A future hydrogen economy would require more than electrolyzers and renewable power plants. It would also need pipelines, storage, industrial conversion facilities, ports and transport links capable of handling large volumes.
However, the Tan-Tan-Mohammedia corridor remains a research scenario rather than a government-approved project. No decision to construct the proposed 900-kilometer pipeline has been established by the study itself. Its results depend on assumptions concerning renewable energy costs, hydrogen production levels, infrastructure investment, storage availability, future demand, transportation technologies, land requirements and regulatory approvals.
Those variables could significantly influence the eventual choice of infrastructure. Changes in renewable electricity prices, storage costs, hydrogen demand or export markets could alter the relative attractiveness of pipelines and maritime transport. The availability and technical suitability of salt caverns would also need to be confirmed through additional geological and engineering studies before such storage could form part of a commercial network.
For Morocco, the significance of the proposal therefore lies primarily in its examination of how a future hydrogen system could be organized across the country. The modeled corridor provides one possible link between renewable energy resources in the south and industrial and maritime facilities in the center and north. Its development would ultimately depend on whether production projects, domestic industrial demand and export markets grow sufficiently to support the large infrastructure investments required.
The study nevertheless provides a framework for assessing these questions over a longer period. By modeling the network through 2030, 2040 and 2050, it shows how transportation requirements could change as hydrogen production expands and how storage and port infrastructure could be combined with pipelines to serve different forms of demand. For Morocco’s emerging hydrogen sector, such planning could help determine which infrastructure should be developed first and how future projects could eventually be connected into a wider national network.
