Morocco is dialing in on renewables + hydrogen research and training: The Moroccan Institute for Research in Solar Energy and New Energies (Iresen) has signed four different agreements to boost research and training in the renewable energy and green hydrogen fields, Morocco World News reports. The agreements were made on the sideline of the World Power-to-X Summit which is concluding today.

The details: The first agreement was signed with the Regional Council of Guelmim-Oued Noun province to boost research and sustainable development activities in renewables. The second was signed with Morocco’s Office for Vocational Training and Labor Promotion and the GreenH2 cluster — a national platform launched in 2021 to support the country's green hydrogen industry — to develop and implement specialized vocational training programs for Moroccan and African professionals in the green hydrogen value chain. Iresen also partnered with Chinese technology giant Huawei and international platform Green Energy Park to work together on renewables and storage research. The fourth agreement will see the Moroccan institute collaborating with the Arab region’s intergovernmental organization Regional Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency to drive renewables research projects and partnerships. Green H2 also agreed to partner with Netherland’s Morocco-focused JV Eco-Stream to support the growth of its green hydrogen sector.

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HSBC launches a USD 1 bn fund for climate startups: British banking group HSBC Holdings announced yesterday plans to launch a USD 1 bn startup fund to support companies working on advancing carbon capture, battery energy storage, EV charging, and sustainable food technologies around the world, according to a statement. The bank is specifically targeting early stage startups, noting that about 50% of global emissions reductions required to reach net zero by 2050 “will come from technologies that are currently at the demonstration or prototype phase.” The company has also announced a USD 100 mn investment in Bill Gates-backed venture capital firm Breakthrough Energy Catalyst in a bid to support green tech advancements. The USD 1 bn financing commitment follows the bank’s announcement of its Climate Tech Venture Capital strategy, which aims to similarly fund companies focused on developing net-zero technologies.

OTHER STORIES WORTH KNOWING ABOUT THIS MORNING-

• Oman solar plant gets a green guarantee: Standard Chartered has issued its first green guarantee to China Energy Engineering Shanxi Electric Power Engineering Company for a solar power project in Oman. (Zawya)
• Qatar’s first electric car is also heading to Jordan: Qatar’s smart transport company EcoTransit will be releasing the Vim — which is manufactured in China — in Qatari markets within the next two months and will enter Jordanian markets soon. (Jordan News Agency)
• Fedex joins the EV bandwagon: The world’s largest express delivery company is adding three EVs to its UAE fleet in a bid to enhance sustainable logistic services. FedEx completed trials on EV maneovering in the UAE earlier this year. (Albayan)
• Jordan’s green hydrogen strategy is imminent: Jordan’s green hydrogen strategy is in the final stages of preparation, according to Secretary General of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources Amani Al-Azzam. Jordan plans to reach 50% of electricity generated from renewables by 2030, by introducing new energy storage systems, smart meters, and improving the infrastructure that enables the transfer of electricity between neighboring countries. (Al Mamlaka)