• Floating regasification unit planned at Nador West Med port
  
• Project aims to secure gas supply after pipeline halt
  

Morocco plans to commission its first liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal in 2027, using a floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) at the Nador West Med port. According to international media reports on Thursday, the timetable leaves little scope to rely on a recently converted unit, given the typical lead times required for such projects.

The planned facility at Nador marks the first phase of Morocco’s LNG import system and forms the backbone of the gas infrastructure the country aims to develop to meet rising demand.

The move comes as authorities have launched an international tender to select the operator responsible for installing the floating unit at Nador West Med. The tender is part of broader preparatory efforts underway at the port.

At the same time, several local media outlets report that preliminary studies are under way for a future gas network linking Nador to major demand centres. The Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development has said the national strategy places a priority on supply security, particularly as the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline has not transported gas since 2021.

Morocco meets nearly all of its gas needs through imports, which rose to almost 844 million cubic metres in 2024 from 820 million cubic metres in 2023, according to CEIC Data. Ecofin Agency  reported in April that the planned LNG terminal at Nador is expected to eventually provide Morocco with import capacity of up to 10 billion cubic metres per year.

Abdel-Latif Boureima