By: Napoleon Ato Kittoe
Morocco has through a state-owned company, the OCP Group, made huge progress for the use of low-carbon energy in industrial operations.
It is in with the proactive orientation of the Sovereign of Morocco, King Mohammed VI who is advocate for a speedy transition towards green energies and low-carbon economy.
A statement by the Royal Office in Rabat, revealed a new green investment program of the OCP Group (2023-2027), and the signing of the relevant protocol agreement between the government and the OCP Group.
In a presentation made to the King by the Chief Executive and Group Chairman of OCP, Mr. Mostafa Terrab predicted that the company could become the unsurpassed producers and exporters of phosphate fertilizers in the world. By 2040, the phosphate fertilizer company is expected to achieve carbon neutrality based on the reliance on renewable energy, made possible by the Kingdom’s progress in the field under the watch of King Mohammed VI.
By investing in solar and wind power, the OCP group plans to feed all its industrial facilities with green energy by 2027. The low-carbon energy will also be used to supply the new sea water desalination project in order to meet the group’s needs and provide the areas around OCP sites with drinking and irrigation water.
The investment will help the group, which is the first to import ammonia, to eventually end the importations by also investing in renewable energy – allowing the group to strongly enter the market of green fertilizer and of fertilization solutions adapted to the specific needs of different soils and crops.
This ambition will be backed by supporting programs for industrial SMEs and those operating in the sectors of energy and agriculture, hence, favoring the emergence of an innovative national ecosystem and the creation of new employment and job integration opportunities for the youth.
The new program, which will help consolidate OCP’s world position, provides for a global investment of 13 billion dollars (130 billion dirhams) over the period 2023-2027, the achievement of a local integration rate of 70%, the backing of 600 Moroccan industrial enterprises and the creation of 25,000 direct and indirect jobs.
The group relied on research and development capabilities of the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University which are hinged on innovative digital technologies. These will take up the challenges of sustainable agriculture and food security.
His Majesty the King presided over the signing ceremony. Present there were the ministers of the Interior, of the Economy and Finance, of Equipment and Water, of Energy Transition and sustainable Development, of Investment, Convergence and Assessment of Public Policies.
OCP was founded in Morocco in 1920 as the Office Chérifien des Phosphates. It started with a single mine at Khouribga. Operations now span five continents, working throughout the value chain, from mining and manufacturing to education and community development.
A second mine opened in Youssoufia in 1931, and a third in Benguerir in 1976. The company also diversified into phosphate processing, opening chemical facilities in Safi (1965) and Jorf Lasfar (1984).
In 2008, the company became the OCP Group S.A., owned by the Moroccan Government and the Banque Populaire du Maroc. The company commits to lessening the impact on the environment, and the opportunity to partner with innovative local businesses.