PRESS RELEASE
Casablanca, Morocco – 20 May 2026
On 12 May 2026, during The 8th CBC Global Ecosystems Leadership Days in Casablanca, École Hassania des Travaux Publics (EHTP), Go For Hydrogen Africa (GFHA), and Jiangsu Guofu Hydrogen Energy Equipment Co., Ltd. (Guofu Hydrogen) jointly inaugurated Morocco and North Africa’s first integrated clean hydrogen ecosystem lab at the EHTP Campus in Casablanca, in the presence of H.E. Mr. Nizar Baraka, Minister of Equipment and Water of the Kingdom of Morocco.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony, chaired by H.E. Minister Baraka, was a major highlight of the Grand Opening of the Joint Center of Excellence in Clean Hydrogen at EHTP and marked an important milestone in Morocco’s efforts to strengthen applied research, industrial innovation, talent development, and clean hydrogen ecosystem building.
Powered by renewable solar energy, the system demonstrates integrated hydrogen generation, hydrogen storage and grid-connected electricity production. The installation includes a 10 kW PEM electrolyser supplied by Guofu Hydrogen together with a fuel cell system supplied by Huade Hydrogen Equipment, creating an operational clean hydrogen learning and demonstration environment at the EHTP Campus. GFHA, the strategic African joint venture platform of Guofu Hydrogen, plays a key role in supporting Guofu Hydrogen’s long-term ecosystem and industrial development ambitions across Morocco and the African continent.
The official inauguration included a technical visit to the installation, presentations by Moroccan and international partners, and the launch of the next development phase of the initiative through the EHTP Applied Innovation Platform for Clean Hydrogen, CleanTech, Water & Intelligent Infrastructure. During the event, EHTP also signed four strategic Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with leading international ecosystem partners to support the future development of the EHTP Applied Innovation Platform and Morocco’s growing clean hydrogen and CleanTech ecosystem. The agreements cover clean hydrogen technology cooperation and system integration with Guofu Hydrogen and GFHA; hydrogen mobility, logistics, and infrastructure applications with KEYOU GmbH and water stuff & sun GmbH; integrated energy systems, storage, and intelligent infrastructure with KWenergy GmbH; and international ecosystem-building, strategic partnerships, and global visibility with the CBC.
Together, the MoUs bring complementary expertise from China, Germany, Switzerland, and the global CleanTech ecosystem.
Pinfang Wu, Chairman of Guofu Hydrogen, described the inauguration as the beginning of a long- term industrial and innovation collaboration with Morocco.
“We are proud to see this integrated hydrogen system officially inaugurated together with our Moroccan and international partners. This initiative represents not only a demonstration project, but also the beginning of a long-term collaboration to support Morocco’s clean hydrogen ecosystem development. Guofu Hydrogen is committed to supporting the EHTP Applied Innovation Platformthrough cooperation with our engineering and R&D capabilities, including our team of more than 50 hydrogen researchers and engineers. We strongly believe Morocco has the potential to become an important clean hydrogen and industrial hub for Africa and beyond.”
He further noted that Guofu Hydrogen’s long-term objective is to support the development of local manufacturing capabilities in Morocco across the hydrogen value chain, with a potential first step consisting of an approximately USD 30 million investment related to a first-phase 1 GW electrolyser manufacturing facility.
For Mostafa Boulal, Chief Executive Officer of GFHA – Go For Hydrogen Africa, the successful implementation of the project also demonstrated the importance of local capability development and Morocco’s accelerating hydrogen strategy.
“This project represents an important milestone for GFHA and for all teams involved in the EPC implementation of the system. Beyond the technology itself, one of the key objectives is to develop Moroccan engineering skills, technical know-how and local workforce capabilities.” He added that Morocco has already emerged as one of the world’s most ambitious clean hydrogen markets through its national “Morocco Offer” framework, which has mobilised nearly 1 million hectares identified for green hydrogen development potential, including a first phase opening up to 300 000 hectares for investors and industrial consortiums.
Current announced projects, approved mega-projects and strategic industrial initiatives represent potential investments estimated at more than USD 32,5 billion in future phases, supported by planned renewable energy capacities exceeding 20 GW dedicated to hydrogen and Power-to-X ecosystems. Morocco is also targeting up to 4% of the global green hydrogen and Power-to-X market while holding the potential for the development of dozens of gigawatts of future clean hydrogen production capacity.
“GFHA remains fully committed, together with EHTP and our partners, to sharing knowledge and collaborating with institutional and industrial stakeholders to help accelerate Morocco’s clean hydrogen transformation, which can become an important driver of long-term economic growth and value creation for Moroccan society.”
Prof. Jaouad Boutahar, Director of EHTP, stated that the inauguration marks a major milestone in strengthening the institution’s leadership in applied research, technological innovation and international industrial collaboration.
“This milestone substantially reinforces EHTP’s capabilities in applied research, innovation and engineering education. We are proud to host this initiative and grateful to all our partners for building a strong and credible international collaboration. It consolidates EHTP’s role as a catalyst between academia, industry and public stakeholders to accelerate the development and deployment of high- impact technologies and sustainable industrial ecosystems. The clean hydrogen joint center illustrates a shared ambition to actively contribute to the emergence of a competitive and integrated green hydrogen value chain, while fostering research excellence, technology transfer, industrial innovation and the development of highly skilled engineering talent.
I would also like to sincerely thank H.E. Minister Nizar Baraka for inaugurating the system, which sends a strong signal regarding the strategic importance of clean hydrogen innovation and applied research for Morocco.”
The newly launched EHTP Applied Innovation Platform for Clean Hydrogen, CleanTech, Water & Intelligent Infrastructure is designed as a globally connected and industry-oriented innovation environment focused on technology validation, pilot projects, applied research, talent development and future industrial deployment.The initiative already brings together partners from multiple continents, combining China’s industrial hydrogen expertise, Germany’s engineering and mobility capabilities, Switzerland’s integrated energy systems know-how, Morocco’s strategic geographic positioning, and the international ecosystem-building network of the CleanTech Business Club (CBC).
Mi Yue, Founder of SNEC and GNEEC (Global New Energies Empowerment Center), Executive Vice Chairman & Secretary-General at NEIAAP (New Energy Industry Association for Asia and the Pacific), and CBC Co-Chair for Asia, highlighted the importance of international ecosystem connectivity.
“Through our long-standing partnership with CBC, we are proud to support the development of the CBC Morocco Ecosystem and its initiatives with EHTP. Leveraging our global platforms, we aim to build strong bridges between China, Morocco and the wider African continent, enabling the development of scalable clean energy ecosystems.”
Dr. Stefan Kaufmann, former Innovation Commissioner for Green Hydrogen of the German Federal Government and newly appointed Chair of the CBC Off-Taker & Infrastructure Hub, underlined the importance of connecting demonstration systems with future demand, infrastructure and bankability.
“Clean hydrogen will only scale when technology, infrastructure, off-takers and financing are connected from the beginning. Demonstration systems such as the one inaugurated at EHTP are important because they create a practical bridge between applied innovation, industrial learning and future demand. Morocco is well positioned to become a strategic platform where clean hydrogen, infrastructure, logistics and industrial off-takers can be brought together in a bankable ecosystem approach.”
Mikaa Blugeon-Mered, Senior Researcher on Hydrogen Geopolitics and Global Markets, Canada Research Chair in Clean Hydrogen at the University of Québec at Trois-Rivières, Adjunct Lecturer at HEC Paris, and CBC Co-Chair of the Clean Hydrogen Hub for Geopolitics & Diplomacy, highlighted Morocco’s increasingly important role in the evolving global hydrogen landscape.
“In the current geopolitical context, Morocco’s role in the global clean hydrogen transition is becoming even more important. The country combines strategic geography, renewable energy potential, industrial ambition, proximity to Europe, and a strong African dimension. Initiatives such as the EHTP integrated clean hydrogen ecosystem demonstration system are valuable because they show how Morocco can move from strategic positioning to practical implementation, applied research and ecosystem building.”
The initiative is supported by the CleanTech Business Club (CBC), which has developed an international network over more than 20 years, with members across 42 countries and partner ecosystems in more than 60 countries.
Tomasz Slusarz, Founder & Vision Streamliner of CBC, emphasised Morocco’s growing strategic importance within the global clean hydrogen transition.
“When I first came to Morocco in 2023, invited by our long-term partners and friends at Dii Desert Energy, I immediately recognised the country’s strategic potential. Today confirms that vision. Together with our CBC Morocco Ecosystem partners from across multiple continents, we are committed to supporting the development of an integrated ecosystem combining technology, innovation, applied research, talent development and investment. This is fully aligned with the spirit of #TogetherWeAreStronger.”
The initiative is also gaining momentum globally. Madadh MacLaine, Secretary-General of ZESTAs (Zero Emissions Ship Technology Association) and CBC Chair of the Maritime & Blue EconomyHub, pointed to the relevance of the system for future maritime decarbonisation and clean fuel ecosystems.
“It is truly exciting to see and experience this project in reality. Clean hydrogen will play a critical role in decarbonising global shipping, and initiatives like this provide the real-world foundation needed to accelerate the transformation.”
On 18 May 2026, Madadh MacLaine will also promote the EHTP-GFHA-Guofu Hydrogen demonstration system in the context of activities connected with the International Maritime Organization (IMO), further linking the initiative to the global conversation on cleaner fuels, green ports, low-emission shipping and maritime decarbonisation.
As part of the newly signed collaborations, the initiative will also integrate hydrogen mobility, hydrogen logistics, intelligent infrastructure and future energy systems applications.
Thomas Korn, Founder & CEO of KEYOU GmbH and water stuff & sun GmbH, confirmed the companies’ support for the EHTP Applied Innovation Platform and Morocco’s clean hydrogen ambitions.
“We believe Morocco has strong potential to become an important future hydrogen ecosystem. We are pleased to support the EHTP Applied Innovation Platform and contribute our expertise in hydrogen mobility, hydrogen logistics and infrastructure solutions. Long-term collaboration between industry, academia and innovation ecosystems will be essential to accelerate deployment.”
Kilian Wehrli, Chief Executive Officer of KWenergy GmbH, also welcomed the launch of the Platform.
“The launch of this Platform creates an important foundation for future integrated energy ecosystems in Morocco. We are pleased to support initiatives combining renewable energy, intelligent infrastructure, storage, mobility and applied innovation within a long-term ecosystem approach.”
The inauguration formed part of The 8th CBC Global Ecosystems Leadership Days held under the theme
“From Morocco to Global Deployment — Building Intelligent, Future-Proof Ecosystems at Scale.”
Together, the Joint Center of Excellence in Clean Hydrogen and the EHTP Applied Innovation Platform establish the foundation for a new generation of integrated ecosystems combining education, applied research, industrial innovation and real-world deployment.
The initiative contributes to strengthening Morocco’s positioning as an emerging regional hub for CleanTech and clean hydrogen innovation in Africa and as a bridge connecting Europe, Africa, Asia and the Middle East within the global energy transition.