The Moroccan government said on Monday it will allocate 1 million hectares to green hydrogen projects, starting with 300,000 hectares in a first phase, as part of an offer to attract investors.

Green hydrogen, produced by splitting water through electrolysis using renewable energy, is expected to play a key role in decarbonising industries.

The initiative would help Morocco "play a major role in the field of energy transition globally," the prime minister's office said in a statement.

Morocco's offer applies to integrated projects covering electricity generation from renewable energies and electrolysis, to the conversion of green hydrogen into ammonia, methanol and synthetic fuel, it said.

It also includes incentives to investors, the statement said, without offering details.

The offtake would be both for export and for domestic use, it said.

Some 100 investors have already expressed interest in producing green hydrogen in Morocco, which has ambitions to capitalise on abundant sun and wind to accelerate its energy transition.

Morocco aims for renewables to make up 52% of installed capacity by 2030 from 37.6% now.

(Reporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi; Editing by Ros Russell)