Clean Technology Selection of Hydrogen Production on an Industrial Scale in Morocco

Sustainable hydrogen production is a priority for Morocco, and it’s part of the country’s national energy strategy, which is currently being developed. Many processes can be used for its production. However, it’s necessary to select the appropriate one for Morocco’s case. In this study, a multi-criteria analysis was followed to select the best clean and renewable catalytic process for hydrogen production on an industrial scale. Ten routes were evaluated using the AHP method coupled with the Fuzzy Vikor method for criteria weighting and ranking of alternatives, respectively. The results showed that alkaline water electrolysis coupled with renewable energy sources is the most suitable for industrial production in Morocco. The processes that are not well ranked and require further study and development before deployment on an industrial scale are biophotolysis, photo fermentation, photolysis, and thermolysis. The parametric sensitivity analysis performed validated the result obtained. Then, the potential for hydrogen production using solar energy is investigated. It was found that Morocco can produce 1057.26 million tons of green hydrogen, showing how attractive the selected catalytic process is. This study enables investors and decision-makers to make an informed decision about whether to develop a green hydrogen production industrial installation in Morocco.