Morocco will launch a $6 billion tender in the coming months to develop and restructure its natural gas infrastructure, Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, announced during the CERAWeek energy conference in Houston.

According to a report in Arabic language news website Maghreb Times, the investment, largely driven by the private sector, will focus on:

  • Establishing LNG import terminals at multiple ports 
  • Expanding gas transport pipelines to connect demand centres
  • Supporting local gas production from the onshore Tendrara and offshore Anchois fields 

The report quoted Benali as saying that natural gas is a crucial element of Morocco’s energy transition strategy, which aims to achieve 52 percent renewable energy in the country’s energy mix by 2030, improve energy efficiency and develop the essential infrastructure to support the transition. 

The report didn't provide other details or timeline for the tender.  

Morocco currently produces less than 100 million cubic metres of natural gas annually and imports 1 billion cubic meters per year via a pipeline from Spain. The country is also advancing the Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline project, which aims to further integrate natural gas into its energy sector. 

(Writing by Majda Muhsen; Editing by Anoop Menon)

(anoop.menon@lseg.com)

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