University Mohammed VI Polytechnic (UM6P) and OCP Group have officially signed a partnership agreement to become the main partners of the “Climate Impulse” project, which is expected to result in a non-stop, zero-emission world tour aboard a green hydrogen aircraft by 2028

The signing ceremony was attended by Dr. Bertrand Piccard, President of Climate Impulse, and Dr. Ilham Kadri, CEO of Syensqo - the project's first main partner.

With the support of leading names in the industry, development of the airplane began in 2022, and included research, feasibility and design studies. Since the beginning of 2024 and the arrival of Syensqo as the first main partner, construction of the aircraft has started, led by 49SUD, which is headed by Raphaël Dinelli, engineer and co-pilot of Climate Impulse alongside Dr. Piccard.

In addition to being a major technological breakthrough that will contribute to the decarbonization of the aviation sector, Climate Impulse is a flagship project in the clean technology sector.

UM6P and OCP Group’s contribution to this project, alongside Syensqo, underscores their commitment to this vision and reflects their determination to play an active role in advancing UN Sustainable Development Goal 13 on climate action and supporting global initiatives for a sustainable future.

UM6P and OCP Group, together with Syensqo, will be key players in addressing the technical challenges associated with Climate Impulse, including managing the extreme temperatures required to maintain liquid hydrogen at -253°C throughout the estimated nine-day flight. They will also be involved in designing and manufacturing suitable thermal tanks. In addition to these crucial aspects, they will explore and develop other innovative solutions to ensure the success of this project.

This collaboration aims to highlight Morocco's potential as an emerging leader in the green hydrogen field and to demonstrate its major role in developing sustainable and innovative solutions on an international scale.

"Beyond the first non-stop, zero-emission world tour with a hydrogen aircraft, the goal of Climate Impulse is to bring together innovation leaders and key technology players to engage the economic, industrial and educational sectors in climate action. The arrival of OCP Group and UM6P will enable significant advances for this project by involving as many students as possible, putting innovation at the service of sustainability,” said DR. Bertrand Piccard, President, Climate Impulse.

"The Climate Impulse project is a pioneering effort in the context of the need for technological development to contribute to decarbonization solutions. We are proud to contribute to this project, which concretely demonstrates the opportunities to move towards a decarbonized economy based on green hydrogen,” said Hanane Mourchid, Chief Sustainability & Innovation Officer, OCP Group.

"We are proud to welcome OCP Group and UM6P as exceptional partners in the Climate Impulse project. Their expertise and know-how perfectly complement our association with the Solar Impulse Foundation and will allow this climate, technological and human project to come to fruition. I am delighted to see international synergies being created around this magnificent and hopeful project,” added Dr. Ilham Kadri, CEO, Syensqo.

"We are delighted to participate in the Climate Impulse project. This collaboration is a unique opportunity for our researchers and students to work on pioneering solutions to climate challenges. We are determined to play a key role in promoting sustainability through innovation and research,” says Hicham El Habti, President, UM6P.