Morocco Pauses LNG Terminal and Gas Pipeline Tenders

Morocco’s Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development has paused tenders for a planned liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal and associated pipeline infrastructure, signalling a shift in the country’s gas expansion timeline.

The projects include a proposed LNG terminal at Nador West Med on the Mediterranean coast and pipeline links designed to connect the facility to an existing import route via Spain and supply gas to power plants and industrial zones.

The ministry said in a statement that suspension follows “new parameters and assumptions” affecting the project, without providing further details on the nature of the changes or a revised timeline.

Morocco is seeking to expand natural gas use as part of efforts to diversify away from coal while advancing its renewable energy strategy, which targets renewables accounting for 52% of installed capacity by 2030.

Government projections indicate domestic gas demand could rise to about 8 billion cubic metres by 2027, up from roughly 1 billion cubic metres currently, underscoring the strategic importance of new infrastructure to support the country’s evolving energy mix.