On track to becoming the project of the century…The Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline is preparing to take a decisive step in 2025, with the finalization of its definitive agreement, which will soon be signed by the heads of state of the transit countries concerned.
To this end, Amina Benkhadra, Director General of the National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM), announced that the first months of 2025 will be marked by the signing of the final investment decision of the project, a process delayed until ‘see you now. This progress was made possible thanks to the support of specialized financial and legal expertise.
She specified that monitoring and environmental impact studies, launched a year ago, are continuing on the ground. The latter play a crucial role in the financial structuring of the project, meeting the requirements of the financial institutions involved.
During a meeting organized by the Policy Center for the New South (PCNS), Benkhadra the souligné that “cooperation with the countries of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and Mauritania made it possible to finalize several essential aspects”. These efforts include the development of the intergovernmental agreement, which will be signed by the relevant heads of state, as well as the agreement between the host state and the company in charge of implementing the project.
Regarding the tenders related to the preliminary engineering design (FEED) of the gas pipeline, Benkhadra welcomed the continuous improvements made to certain aspects of the agreement, while affirming that the project is progressing according to the defined stages.
The director of ONHYM also detailed the breakdown of the project, carried out in collaboration with large specialized companies. This includes several sections:
The section sudwhich will extend the existing gas pipeline linking Nigeria and Ghana to Ivory Coast; there section nordconnecting Senegal, Mauritania and Morocco; there connection to the Maghreb-Europe gas pipelinewith a segment intended for export to Europe, as well as the rehabilitation of the central section.
Benkhadra concluded by indicating that, although several challenges have been overcome, this strategic and structuring project remains faced with significant challenges.
This gas pipeline promises to play an essential role in the development of transit countries, some of which have an electrification rate of less than 40%. It will also help boost various sectors, such as industry, agriculture and trade, while strengthening the energy security of Africa and Europe. Part of the gas transported will in fact be intended for export to the European continent.
Furthermore, several major stages have already been completed, including the feasibility study and detailed engineering, which was carried out in two phases and is now finalized.
The gas pipeline will extend over more than 6,500 kilometers. A large part will cross inland lands to the city of Dakhla, in the south of Morocco, before following the Moroccan Atlantic coast to connect to the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline.
This project aims to be competitive with liquefied natural gas, both in terms of investments and operational and transport costs.
