Morocco's Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, has called for dedicating at least 1% of national investment to scientific research and development in renewable energy and green hydrogen. Speaking during a parliamentary session, she emphasized that the current model is unsustainable due to inconsistent funding, urging the need for stable financial resources to ensure project continuity and to reinforce Morocco's leadership in energy innovation at both regional and international levels. The minister highlighted the role of Morocco's national institute for new and renewable energies, established in 2011, as a key player in the country's energy transition. She stressed the importance of preserving the institute's independence while strengthening its mandate to support and fund scientific and applied research, as well as to develop research and innovation infrastructure. Despite limited resources, the minister noted, the institute has achieved notable successes: it has funded more than 70 research projects across 12 fields in various regions, published over 1,000 scientific articles, filed more than 40 patents, and supported 85 doctoral theses. It also completed the first small-scale pilot project for producing green hydrogen using solar energy and is currently working with the OCP Group on a model project to produce four tons of green ammonia per day. Benali also underscored the importance of the institute's research platforms, particularly the «Green Energy Park», inaugurated by King Mohammed VI in 2017, which has become a national and continental benchmark in applied research. She reiterated that advancing research in renewable energy depends on securing sustainable funding, noting that the institute has received approximately 382 million dirhams over the past ten years, mostly from the now-depleted Energy Development Fund.
