Morocco to launch gasoline pipeline tenders in 2025

Barely three weeks after stating its dedication to push ahead within the improvement of the African Atlantic Gasoline Pipeline mission, Morocco has said plans to launch tenders as a part of the preliminary phases of the Nigeria-Morocco gasoline pipeline in 2025.

A report by a neighborhood information outlet, Asharq Al-Awsat, on Sunday, mentioned the brand new progress is a part of the 2025 Motion Plan from the Nationwide Workplace of Hydrocarbons and Mines, including that the tenders will cowl the components of the pipeline in Morocco.

The mission’s first section will embody Morocco, Mauritania, and Senegal, and extra agreements for gasoline transport might be signed subsequent 12 months, the information outlet added.

“A personal firm might be established to handle the development, operation, and upkeep of the mission,” the report said, quoting a doc associated to the mission that the information outlet assessed.

The 5,600-kilometre pipeline is predicted to cowl 16 international locations – most of that are alongside the Atlantic coast.

It should even be related to the Morocco-Europe gasoline pipeline and the European gasoline community, the information outlet mentioned, including that the pipeline won’t solely profit Africa but in addition Europe.

The mission is being considered a milestone initiative, reflecting Morocco’s dedication to supporting financial integration and improvement throughout Africa.

“This can be a mission for peace, for African financial integration, and for co-development: a mission for the current and future generations,” King Mohammed VI mentioned in a 2022 speech.

The pipeline goals to profit over 340 million individuals, with Morocco internet hosting 1,672 kilometres of the route.

A number of international locations have signed agreements with Morocco, endorsing the mission.

In June of final 12 months, ONHYM signed 4 Memoranda of Understanding with the Nigerian Nationwide Petroleum Firm Restricted and petroleum operators in 4 international locations, together with the Republic of Guinea, Liberia, Benin, and Cote d’Ivoire.

A number of different international locations additionally signed MoUs with Morocco and Nigeria final 12 months, together with  Mauritania and Senegal, in addition to The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Sierra Leone, and Ghana.

These agreements replicate the signee international locations’ shared dedication to the conclusion of this strategic mission.

At a gathering chaired by the ECOWAS Ministers of Hydrocarbons and Vitality, earlier this month, dialogue on crucial agreements, together with the Intergovernmental Settlement and Host Authorities Settlement for the AAGP, entered superior levels.

The AAGP, estimated at $26bn, merges two main pipeline tasks: the $975m West African Gasoline Pipeline Extension Venture, extending 678km, and the 5,669 km Nigeria-Morocco Gasoline Pipeline Venture, anticipated to price round $25bn.

It’s aimed toward monetisation of Nigeria’s plentiful pure gasoline sources, thereby producing further income for the nation, diversification of Nigeria’s gasoline export routes, and elimination of gasoline flaring.

It should additionally help in supplying gasoline to Morocco, 13 ECOWAS international locations and Europe, in addition to integration of the economies of the sub-region.