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Morocco Hydrogen Projects: Ensuring Safety and Sustainability across the Region - Khalid Benhammou

November 13, 2023
Related topics: 
Commodities & Energy
Energy transition and Renewables
MENA

Advancing sustainable energy governance faces major challenges like policy coordination, political and economic barriers, and infrastructure development. In this interview, Khalid Benhammoun, managing director of Sahara Wind, discusses the multiple challenges met in the advancement of sustainable energy in the Mediterranean region, especially green hydrogen. He also provides insights into the strategies that current hydrogen projects in Dakhla are employing to guarantee the safety and sustainability of hydrogen production and usage within the region.

Speakers
Khalid Benhamou
Director, Sahara Wind, Morocco
Khalid Benhamou is the Director of Sahara Wind, having, in 1995, erected Morocco's first 50 kW experimental wind turbine on the Sahara coastline, revealing the potential of the Atlantic trade winds in the region. This led to the inception of the Sahara Wind-HVDC multi-Giga-Watt transmission project in 2002, presented at the European Parliament and a catalyst for Euro-Mediterranean initiatives. As original project concept developer, Khalid established the Sahara Wind project’s 400-500 MW threshold capacity, phased roll-out and Terms of References of its 5GW HVDC line in collaboration with ONEE of Morocco, before its submission for funding to UNDP-GEF-World Bank in 2005. He also established the connection between the Atlantic trade winds and Morocco's phosphate rock deposits. In ...

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