Moroccan state-owned utility Onee has requested expressions of interest for the supply of battery energy storage across ten sites, and a trio of gas-to-power plants which will help strengthen the grid where new variable renewable energy generation is planned.
What's going on with EV batteries in Morocco?
The battery industry chain centered around LFP is forming rapidly. In June this year, the Moroccan government announced that Gotion High-Tech would invest $1.3 billion (US) to build a gigafactory for EV batteries.
Morocco is preparing to launch a massive foray into clean energy with its ambitious 1.6 GW BESS projects. The National Office for Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) is expected to invite tenders for battery energy storage systems (BESS) totaling nearly 1,600MW.
Will Huayou Cobalt & LG Energy Solution Co-build a battery plant in Morocco?
Huayou Cobalt and LG Energy Solution will co-build a plant in Morocco, one for 50,000 tons of LFP annually and another for 52,000 tons of lithium conversion annually. In addition to abundant phosphate reserves, Morocco also possesses metal resources like cobalt and lithium needed for battery production and has cost advantages.
Is Morocco a good country for battery production?
In addition to abundant phosphate reserves, Morocco also possesses metal resources like cobalt and lithium needed for battery production and has cost advantages. Industry estimates suggest that producing lithium batteries in Morocco offers a 36% cost advantage compared to other countries.
Since 2023, several Chinese lithium battery industry chain companies, including CATL, Gotion High-Tech, Sunwoda, BTR, Huayou Cobalt, CNGR Advanced Material and Tinci Materials, have collectively invested in Morocco and built factories. The battery industry chain centered around LFP is forming rapidly.
Additionally, Sunwoda is also setting up a battery production base in Morocco. The number of material manufacturers investing in Morocco is even larger. In April this year, Zhongke Electric planned to invest about $699 million (US) to implement an integrated base project for producing 100,000 tons/year of anode materials in Morocco.