Morocco is actively pursuing American and international funding for the Atlantic African gas pipeline project, which is estimated to cost approximately $26 billion. This initiative comes at a time when disruptions in global energy markets have heightened European interest in diversifying gas supply sources, as reported by Bloomberg.
The Moroccan ambassador to the United States, Youssef El Amrani, stated that the Moroccan government is in discussions with the U.S. Export-Import Bank and the World Bank to support this project, which aims to transport gas from West Africa to Europe via Morocco. El Amrani emphasized that the ongoing U.S.-Israeli conflict with Iran and the resulting turmoil in energy flows from the Middle East have enhanced the strategic viability of the project, which provides an alternative route for African gas supplies to reach European markets. However, he did not disclose specific details regarding the financing discussions.
Bloomberg also mentioned that a spokesperson from the U.S. Export-Import Bank confirmed preliminary talks about the project, while the World Bank declined to comment. The project, which spans approximately 6,800 kilometers, has the backing of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which signed a governmental agreement on July 19 to endorse its implementation.
The pipeline is intended to connect gas fields in Nigeria, Senegal, and Mauritania to the existing Morocco-Europe pipeline network that transports gas to Spain, as part of European efforts to reduce reliance on traditional supply sources. El Amrani described the project as one of the most ambitious infrastructure endeavors in Africa, amid a race among several countries to implement major gas projects, including the Trans-Saharan gas pipeline led by Algeria and massive gas projects in Mozambique.
Despite the political momentum, Bloomberg highlighted that the project faces execution challenges. Anne-Sophie Corbeau, a researcher at the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University, noted that the involvement of multiple countries could complicate its implementation, citing operational issues encountered by the West African gas pipeline. Additionally, Europe is simultaneously seeking to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels, raising questions regarding the long-term viability of expanding the project to European markets.
According to Morocco's National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM), the planned capacity of the pipeline is 30 billion cubic meters annually, with half allocated for the Moroccan market and the other half directed toward Europe. The project is scheduled to commence in 2028, with the first gas supplies expected in 2031, subject to the completion of necessary financing arrangements.
As reported by aljazeera.net.
