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Morocco has decided to suspend its liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal project planned for the Mediterranean coast, an investment estimated at nearly $1 billion that was intended to strengthen energy imports and reduce reliance on more polluting fuels.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development said the decision to freeze the project, described as «highly strategic», was taken in light of «new parameters and assumptions» related to its implementation. The project notably included the construction of new gas transport infrastructure linking the Nador West Med port to the country’s main industrial zones.
The announcement comes as both national and international operators had expressed interest in the project following calls for tenders launched last December. It also follows a meeting chaired by King Mohammed VI on the development of the Nador West Med port, attended by several government officials, including Energy Transition Minister Leila Benali.
The suspended terminal was expected to have an annual capacity of 5 billion cubic meters, more than four times Morocco’s current gas consumption, estimated at around 1.2 billion cubic meters per year. Other LNG terminals are still being considered in the medium term along the Atlantic coast, as part of a broader $3.5 billion program aimed at raising national gas consumption to 12 billion cubic meters by 2030.
The impact of this decision on a separate tender for a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) planned for Nador remains unclear. The deadline for prequalification for that project had been set for January 30.
