Morocco has launched international tenders worth almost $1 billion for an FSRU and a new gas pipeline corridor at the under-construction Nador West Med port, according to an official pre-selection notice from the Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development (MTEDD).
MTEDD is seeking bids for a time-charter FSRU to be moored at the Mediterranean port and for the design, construction, financing and operation of pipelines that will form the backbone of a national gas network.
The first tender covers an LNG import station, including a floating terminal connected to the Maghreb–Europe Gas Pipeline (GME), with investment estimated at $273 million; the operator will supply the FSRU and may build part of the topside infrastructure before transferring those assets to a public entity ahead of commissioning.
The second tender concerns a national gas corridor linking Nador West Med to existing and emerging industrial hubs, representing roughly $681.2 million of investment—about $638.7 million for the main GME–Mohammedia line and $42.5 million for secondary networks—bringing the first-phase total to approximately $954.2 million.
Both projects fall under Morocco’s public-private partnership law 86-12. More than 80 operators expressed interest during an earlier process completed in July 2025, and MTEDD plans a two-stage competition, with a restricted tender expected before the end of the first quarter of 2026.
Companies seeking to participate in the FSRU tender must request the pre-qualification dossier and submit applications by 30 January 2026, with bids to be opened publicly on 2 February 2026 in Rabat. Applicants must show technical experience in LNG and FSRU operations and adequate financial capacity.
The future terminal is being sized for Q-Flex carriers up to 215,000 m³, with nominal regasification of 5.1 bcm per year and peak capability of 7.5 bcm, and commercial start-up is targeted for 2027, shortly after the port becomes operational in the second half of 2026.
The project anchors Morocco’s 2025–2030 gas roadmap. National gas demand is about 1.2 bcm per year and is projected to reach roughly 8 bcm by 2027 and 12 bcm by 2030 as power plants shift to gas and industrial use expands, underpinning plans for a second LNG entry point at Mohammedia or Jorf Lasfar and, later, facilities near Dakhla.
Once commissioned, the Nador–GME–Mohammedia corridor will become the first backbone of the national gas network, improving supply security and integration between maritime import terminals and major consumers.
Nador West Med is being developed by Société Nador West Med S.A. (NWM), a state-owned public limited company.
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has provided sovereign-guaranteed loans totaling €300 million to NWM as part of a port project estimated at about €1.06 billion.
The deepwater facility is designed as a container transshipment hub and energy gateway with industrial land initially covering 800 ha, expanding to about 5,000 ha.
If the timetable holds, Nador West Med will become Morocco’s first LNG entry point by 2027.
Société Nador West Med S.A. (NWM) is a Moroccan state-owned public limited company established to develop, manage and operate the Nador West Med port complex and its associated industrial and logistics zones. Its mandate covers port infrastructure, industrial land development and long-term operational stewardship of the wider complex.
