Morocco Aims to Go Beyond Renewable Electricity and Green Hydrogen: Synhelion Plans 100,000-Tonne Synthetic Fuel Plant in Tan-Tan

Morocco is looking to expand its renewable energy ambitions beyond the production of renewable electricity and green hydrogen. In the southern region of the Kingdom, Swiss company Synhelion plans to develop a factory capable of producing 100,000 tonnes of renewable synthetic fuels annually. This project could open a new industrial pathway centered on solar energy: directly converting renewable resources into fuels for aviation, road transport, and maritime shipping.

Strategic Partnership and Project Status

On September 8, 2026, Synhelion signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with several key Moroccan government bodies, including:

• The Ministry of Industry and Trade
• The Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development
• The Ministry of Investment, Convergence, and Public Policy Evaluation
• The Moroccan Agency for Investment and Export Development (AMDIE)

A site has already been reserved in the Tan-Tan province, and the company has established a local subsidiary, Synhelion Maroc.

However, it is important to note that this is not yet a construction phase. Synhelion has not disclosed the investment amount, financing structure, or a precise implementation timeline. The MoU represents a development step in the project rather than a final investment decision. This distinction is crucial for accurately assessing the project's current maturity level.

Technology: From Solar Heat to Synthetic Fuels

The technological principle behind Synhelion’s approach differs from standard solar electricity generation. The company uses high-temperature renewable heat to trigger a thermochemical reaction. In this process, a carbon source and water are converted into synthesis gas (syngas), which primarily consists of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. This syngas is then industrially converted into liquid fuels, including renewable kerosene, gasoline, and diesel.

Synhelion has already tested this technological chain at an industrial scale in Germany. Its DAWN facility, inaugurated in Jülich in 2024, produces several thousand liters of fuel per year, validating the process under industrial conditions. The company states that it now possesses operational data from two years of running the facility, which will help prepare for the transition to larger commercial units.

The Moroccan project would thus represent a major scale-up for Synhelion. The company is simultaneously developing a commercial project in Germany at the RWE site in Hürth-Knapsack, with Saipem handling preliminary engineering studies. However, with an announced capacity of 100,000 tonnes per year, the Tan-Tan facility would be significantly larger than the installations currently operational or in the announced development phase.

Why Tan-Tan? Industrial Logic and Strategic Advantages

The choice of Tan-Tan is driven by industrial logic. Synhelion highlights the abundant renewable resources available in the region and the favorable conditions for building a value chain around renewable fuels.

The broader Moroccan industrial context also serves as a significant asset. In its Africa Industrialization Index 2025, published in May 2026, the African Development Bank ranked Morocco at the top of its new continental industrialization index.

Economic Impact and European Market Opportunities

The economic interest in this project extends well beyond the Moroccan market. Europe is gradually creating a regulatory outlet for sustainable fuels, particularly in aviation. The ReFuelEU Aviation regulation mandates a minimum share of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) of 6% by 2030, of which 1.2% must be synthetic aviation fuels. These obligations will increase progressively until 2050.

For industry players, the stakes are twofold:

1. Accessing competitive renewable energy.
2. Converting that energy into higher-value-added products.

A plant like the one envisioned in Tan-Tan would not be limited to selling electricity. It could transform local energy resources into fuels capable of powering transport chains and potentially serving markets subject to decarbonization targets.