WEST MED RABAT (MOROCCO) (ITALPRESS) – Morocco is accelerating its energy security efforts. The Ministry of Energy Transition has launched two crucial international tenders for its future gas infrastructure: the leasing of a FSRU for the Nador West Med LNG terminal and the construction of a national pipeline corridor connecting the port to the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline (GME) and the industrial zones of Kenitra and Mohammedia.
The Nador West Med FSRU, whose investment is estimated at $273 million, will be directly connected to the GME. The unit’s owner will also be able to contribute to the topside installations, which will then be transferred to the State before entry into service. At the same time, the Ministry is beginning prequalification for a large-scale gas pipeline project valued at $681 million.
The network, developed through a public-private partnership, will connect the new terminal to the GME and extend the backbone to the country’s main industrial hubs. More than 80 operators have already expressed interest. The LNG terminal is scheduled to enter service in 2027, when Moroccan demand is expected to rise to approximately 8 billion cubic meters, up from 1.2 billion currently. By 2030, demand could reach 12 billion cubic meters, paving the way for a second import point on the Atlantic and a future platform in the south, near the port of Dakhla.
With a total investment of $954 million, this first phase marks a turning point in the creation of a national gas backbone, designed to power the industrial sector, support the energy transition, and reduce dependence on coal and heavy fuels.
-Photo www.le360.ma-
(ITALPRESS).
