The city of Laayoune hosted the signing of a financing agreement between the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) and the ORNX investor consortium to fund a preliminary engineering study for a green ammonia production project. The agreement marks the first U.S. government financing provided to a private-sector investment project in Morocco’s Southern Provinces.
The signing ceremony was attended by U.S. Ambassador to Morocco Duke Buchan III, Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra Regional Governor Abdessalam Bekrate, Regional Council President Sidi Hamdi Ould Errachid, as well as government officials and business representatives.
The grant will finance the technical studies required to accelerate the project’s implementation and attract the investments needed for its development as part of Morocco’s national green hydrogen strategy.
Ambassador Buchan stated that the initiative reflects the strength of the strategic partnership between Rabat and Washington while reaffirming U.S. support for Morocco’s Autonomy Plan. He added that the project combines American expertise with Morocco’s natural and human resources and is expected to create jobs, promote industrial development, and strengthen the Kingdom’s position as a regional hub for renewable energy.
Morocco’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs described the agreement as a new milestone in bilateral cooperation, highlighting the growing interest of American companies in investment opportunities across the Kingdom, including its Southern Provinces, and emphasizing the transformation of the strategic partnership into tangible economic projects.