Impetus for the Africa-Atlantic Gas Pipeline project, better known under the generic name of Nigeria-Morocco. Leila Benali had every reason to be pleased when she announced the good news on Tuesday May 13 during oral questions in the House of Councillors. According to the Minister for Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, the feasibility and preliminary engineering design studies have been finalized. The same applies to the determination of the optimal route. At the same time, field studies and environmental and social impact assessments are continuing. In addition, the creation of a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV) between Morocco and Nigeria is underway. This entity will be responsible for overseeing the technical studies required to create the conditions necessary for the project’s implementation. Subsequently, project companies will be set up to take charge of design and construction tasks. As for the Final Investment Decision (FID), its results will be published by the end of the year, prior to the start of construction. Moreover, good news never comes alone. Indeed, during the last ministerial meeting on the subject, the government agreement of the project’s member states was approved, as was that of the host country. Moreover, over the past few months, his department has actively participated in several meetings organized by ECOWAS, with the presence of experts representing the countries crossed by the gas pipeline.
Catalyst
On the agenda was the study of the Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between member countries. The last of these meetings was marked by the holding, on November 1, 2024, of the ministerial meeting of ECOWAS member countries, Morocco, and Mauritania, during which the ministers of these countries approved the agreements in question. This event constitutes a very important step in the realization of this strategic project.
This project, with an estimated budget of nearly $25 billion, is a catalyst for economic, industrial, and digital development. It is a pillar of job creation and a cornerstone for transforming Morocco into a major corridor connecting Europe, Africa, and the Atlantic Basin. The project will span 6,800 kilometers (4225 miles), including 5,100 kilometers (3169 miles) in the maritime domain, with a transport capacity of between 15 and 30 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. It will also provide energy to approximately 400 million people in 13 countries. This will help prepare the region for the green economy, including green hydrogen, the minister emphasized before a chamber committed to my cause.
Furthermore, this gigantic gas pipeline will be developed in stages. First, phase 1 between Ghana and Côte d’Ivoire. Then, phase 2 between Senegal, Mauritania, and Morocco. At this stage, the infrastructure of the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline will be used. Then, phase 3 with Nigeria and Ghana. Finally, the last stage will connect Côte d’Ivoire to Senegal.
Open net : The port of Nador connected to the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline
In any case, on the Moroccan side, the process is underway. Indeed, on April 23, the government launched a call for expressions of interest regarding the development of the national gas infrastructure. The goal is to create the first liquefied natural gas (LNG) station at the port of Nador. This project also includes the development of a gas pipeline connecting the port of Nador to the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline, which will extend to Kenitra and Mohammedia, the minister emphasized to the councilors.
For her, this step represents a decisive turning point in the development of the infrastructure, which will gradually extend to the city of Dakhla, thus ensuring the connection with the African Atlantic gas pipeline. According to Leila Benali, « the gas infrastructure currently in place in our country only allows the transport of less than one billion cubic meters of natural gas, which is the amount currently consumed. However, the demand for natural gas is expected to reach approximately 10 billion cubic meters per year in the coming years. This project will help meet this growing demand, increase the contribution of this infrastructure to GDP and create job opportunities”.
Mohamed CHAOUI
