China Energy Construction will build section 9 of the Kenitra-Marrakech high-speed railway line

1. 8 sections put out to tender
2. Reducing carbon footprint

China Energy Construction (CEEC), a company of the Asian giant, won the package tendered by the Moroccan National Office of Railways (ONCF) for the civil works for section 9 of the high-speed train line (LGV). With an investment of 2.4 billion dirhams, the Asian company will be responsible for the works of the last section tendered by the ONCF. 

The realisation of the Kenitra-Marrakech LGV project represents an important lever of economic development for Morocco, stimulating local employment and strengthening national technological capacities. 

Morocco is a pioneer in Africa in the construction of high-speed train lines. With the completion of the works, which CEEC estimates will take 33 months, the country will have more than 430 kilometres of new high-speed lines, designed to allow trains to run at speeds of 320 km/h. 

The development of the line is part of the national strategy to connect the country's main ports, airports and cities with an investment of 370 billion dirhams since its inauguration in 2018. The length of the high-speed network is expected to reach 1,300 kilometres by 2040. 

8 sections put out to tender

With a total length of more than 430 kilometres, the National Railway Office has divided the work into 9 sections of between 51 and 67 km. Of these 9 sections, 8 have been awarded so far: 4 to Chinese companies, 3 to Moroccan companies and 1 to a French company.  

‘CEEC's presence will mark the official entry of the Gezhouba Group, one of the most important in the country, in the field of high-speed railway construction abroad,’ the company said in an official statement. 

‘This line will strengthen connectivity between Morocco's major cities and will play a central role in the country's economic development and will also be a great asset for the organisation of the 2030 World Cup, co-hosted by Morocco,’ it added. 

Reducing carbon footprint

As reported by Atalayar, the high-speed line project between Kenitra and Marrakech also aims to have the least environmental impact, reducing as much as possible the carbon footprint within the transport sector. All this through the application of advanced and environmentally friendly technologies. 

This tender is part of the priority international development strategy of the Gezhouba Group and China Energy Construction, which aims to accelerate the implementation of the project and transform this initiative into a flagship model of Sino-Moroccan cooperation.

Covec is the fourth Chinese company to join the project, along with CRCC, China Railway Engineering and Shandong Hi-Speed Engineering-Construction. The entry of the Gezhouba group shows the importance of Chinese capital in construction.