The gas pipeline that will connect Nigeria to Spain via Morocco is taking shape. The project, estimated at $25 billion (€22.3 billion) and running through a dozen countries on a 6,000-kilometer hydroelectric cable, received approval from the Moroccan government a few days ago, which has endorsed the feasibility plan.
Leila Benali, Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, confirmed that “the feasibility and preliminary technical studies for the pipeline, including the determination of its optimal route, have been completed.” She also provided an update on the project, emphasizing that “a partnership is currently in place between Morocco and Nigeria, which will make a final decision on the investment by the end of this year.”
Benali further stated that “the project will act as a catalyst for economic, industrial, and digital development, serve as a basis for job creation, and transform Morocco into a major corridor connecting Europe, Africa, and the Atlantic Basin.” This project is crucial for the Spanish government, as it is relying on precisely this technology – along with hydrogen – to achieve its energy transition. Furthermore, by 2035, a technology that is currently essential, such as nuclear energy, will no longer be part of the energy mix.
Algerian Competition
A few years ago, this project had a direct competitor that challenged the Moroccan plan: Algeria sought to build a pipeline that would transport gas reserves from Nigeria to Europe through its territory. At the beginning of 2023, knowledgeable sources reported that the project was “more feasible” with Algeria than with Morocco.
However, this pipeline had to cross the conflict-ridden Sahel region (Niger), which ultimately jeopardized its feasibility. In 2022, the energy portfolio holders of Nigeria and Algeria signed a memorandum of understanding for the construction of the pipeline. But Morocco immediately responded with a competing project, signing another memorandum of understanding with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) to advance the ambitious superproject the Alawite kingdom longs for.
Project with the United Kingdom
However, this is not the only multi-billion-euro megaproject Morocco is currently pursuing to position itself as an energy export hub – a goal Spain also aspires to. Morocco and the British company Xlinks have announced the launch of a superproject that aims to connect the southwest of the Alawite kingdom with the south of the United Kingdom, encircling the Iberian Peninsula. The total cost of this plan is approximately €20 billion.
The “Xlinks Morocco-UK Power Project” will be a new power generation facility powered entirely by solar and wind energy combined with battery storage. It will be built in the Moroccan region of Guelmim Oued Noun, which is rich in renewable energy, and will be connected exclusively to the UK by 3,800 kilometers of HVDC submarine cables.
According to the company, the project is considered “unique” and will generate 11.5 gigawatts of carbon-neutral electricity from solar and wind power to deliver 3.6 gigawatts of reliable power for an average of more than 19 hours a day. This will be enough to supply over seven million UK homes with clean, affordable energy. Once completed, the project will be able to meet 8% of the UK’s electricity needs.
