Morocco and China have sealed a landmark $3 billion agreement to build a green aluminium complex, concluding three years of tense negotiations marked by delays, environmental concerns, and financing hurdles.
The project, set to be powered largely by renewable energy, is intended to supply Europe’s growing demand for low-carbon metals while accelerating Morocco’s ambition to become a regional hub for sustainable industry. Officials describe it as one of the kingdom’s most ambitious industrial ventures outside the phosphate sector.
Talks were anything but smooth. Disagreements emerged over ownership stakes, energy guarantees, and environmental compliance. Rabat insisted on strict conditions to ensure the plant aligned with its climate commitments, while Beijing sought favorable financing and export terms.
At the center of the breakthrough, according to sources close to the deal, is a little-known Chinese financier already entrenched in Morocco’s business circles. Acting as an intermediary, he reportedly bridged the gap between Chinese state-linked companies and Moroccan authorities, unlocking concessions on both sides. His precise role remains opaque, fueling speculation about his influence in future Chinese investments in the kingdom.
For Morocco, the deal promises thousands of jobs, new renewable energy infrastructure, and greater leverage in Europe’s decarbonized supply chains. Yet questions linger: where the plant will be located, how water-intensive processes will be managed, and whether financial transparency will match the project’s green label.
As Rabat positions itself between Europe’s regulatory demands and China’s strategic ambitions, the aluminium mega-deal symbolizes both opportunity and risk—an industrial bet that could redefine Morocco’s place in the global energy transition.
