The United States took a significant step in supporting investment in Morocco's southern provinces on Tuesday, as the U.S. Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) awarded a grant to the ORNX investor consortium to finance a front-end engineering and design (FEED) study for a green ammonia production project in Laayoune.
The grant agreement was signed in Laayoune by Thomas Hardy, USTDA's Deputy Director for Operations, and Peter A. Geishe, CEO of ORNX, in the presence of U.S. Ambassador to Morocco Duke Buchan III. The funding will support the technical studies required to advance the project, which is being developed through a partnership between Moroccan and American companies.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Ambassador Buchan described the agreement as a landmark milestone, saying it represents the first U.S. government financing for a private-sector project in Morocco's Sahara. He said U.S.-Morocco relations are "stronger than ever" under the leadership of King Mohammed VI and U.S. President Donald Trump, while reaffirming Washington's support for Morocco's Autonomy Plan as the basis for resolving the regional dispute over the Sahara.
Buchan said the project demonstrates the growing U.S. economic presence in Morocco's southern provinces through advanced technology, engineering expertise, and private investment. He added that the initiative is expected to create jobs, stimulate economic development, and combine Morocco's natural resources and human capital with American innovation to generate shared prosperity.
For his part, Hardy said USTDA remains committed to promoting sustainable economic growth in Morocco by encouraging strategic partnerships between U.S. and Moroccan companies. He noted that the grant will finance engineering studies addressing key technical questions at this stage of the project, helping accelerate its implementation and facilitate the mobilization of future investment.
The green ammonia facility is expected to become a flagship industrial project within Morocco's national green hydrogen strategy, reinforcing the Kingdom's ambition to position itself as a regional hub for renewable energy and green industry. Hardy added that the agreement forms part of USTDA's broader cooperation program in Morocco, with continued support planned for projects across the country, particularly in Laayoune.
Mohamed Amine Belhaj, Director of Economic Diplomacy at Morocco's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the agreement comes as Morocco and the United States celebrate 250 years of diplomatic relations, highlighting a longstanding partnership built on mutual trust, shared values, and common interests. He said the project reflects the growing momentum of bilateral cooperation in energy and technology while demonstrating increasing interest from American companies in investment opportunities across Morocco, including its southern provinces.
The ORNX consortium was selected by the Moroccan government to develop the green ammonia project in Laayoune as part of the Kingdom's national green hydrogen strategy, launched in line with the vision of King Mohammed VI. The signing ceremony was attended by senior regional officials, elected representatives, diplomats, business leaders, and members of civil society.
