Morocco Mobilizes One Billion Dollars for Gas Infrastructure Development and Energy Transition
The Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, announced that Morocco needs approximately one billion dollars to develop its infrastructure with the aim of expanding the use of natural gas as a transitional energy source and reducing reliance on coal for electricity production.
During a session of oral questions, the minister confirmed that this investment is part of an ambitious national program to accelerate the shift towards cleaner and more flexible energy sources. The program includes the establishment of a liquefied natural gas terminal at the “Nador West Med” port and its connection to a pipeline network extending to the “Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline,” passing through production stations and industrial sites in Kenitra and Mohammedia.
The estimated investment cost to connect the terminal to the continental gas line is around 273 million dollars, while the connection costs in Mohammedia amount to approximately 638.7 million dollars, in addition to 42.5 million dollars for the construction of a secondary network to supply the two cities with gas.
The project aims to promote the use of natural gas as a low-carbon source that complements the integration of renewable energies, ensuring the stability and flexibility of the national electricity grid. It is also part of the kingdom’s vision to connect its infrastructure to future gas stations along the Atlantic coast, ultimately linking it to the African-Atlantic gas pipeline that will connect Nigeria to Morocco and then to Europe, passing through 11 African countries.
Currently, Morocco consumes about one billion cubic meters of natural gas annually, mainly used for electricity production and several strategic industries like phosphates, while local production does not exceed 100 million cubic meters from small fields. The kingdom imports most of its needs from the international market, relying on a pipeline connecting it to Spain, which provides flexibility in sourcing liquefied gas.
