The Moroccan port project Nador West Med continues despite the suspension of the tender for its gas terminal
The planned opening date for the port of Nador West Med, on the Mediterranean coast of Morocco, remains the last quarter of this year, despite the recent suspension of the tender for the liquefied natural gas terminal
A brief statement issued by Morocco's Ministry of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development (MTEDD), headed by Leila Benali, reported that 'due to new parameters and assumptions related to this project, which is of great strategic importance to the Kingdom of Morocco, the MTEDD is suspending the receipt of applications and the opening of bids received to date. The MTEDD will communicate any developments related to this project and the bidding process.'
Suspension of the project
The suspension of the tender for this liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal, with a capacity of 5 billion cubic metres (more than four times Morocco's current consumption, estimated at 1.2 billion cubic metres per year), affects both the Nador West Med port project itself and the network of gas pipelines between it, the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline (GME) and the industrial areas of Kenitra and Mohammedia.
The tenders, which have now been suspended, were published on 5 December 2025. In its statement, the Ministry thanked ‘all national and international operators who have expressed their interest in the gas infrastructure development project’.
Meeting chaired by the King
It is striking that the suspension of this tender was announced just a few days after the meeting chaired by King Mohammed VI, at which the monarch received updated reports on the status of the project and gave instructions to ensure that the project would start under the best conditions and to launch specific training programmes to support investors, facilitate the integration of young people and improve their employability.
The fact that the King has taken a personal interest in the completion and launch of the project guarantees that the planned schedule for its entry into operation, scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2025, will not be affected by the suspension of the gas terminal tender.
Five million containers
The figures presented at last week's meeting with King Mohammed VI demonstrate the scale of the project, located just 50 kilometres from the city of Melilla: an investment of around 5 billion euros for an infrastructure that will include 5.4 kilometres of breakwaters, another 4 linear kilometres of quays and 4 power stations.
The first container terminal, 1,520 metres long, will come into operation this year, with a capacity of 3.5 million containers per year. A second terminal, 900 metres long, will come into operation this year, with a capacity of 3.5 million containers per year.
The first container terminal, 1,520 metres long, will come into operation this year, with a capacity of 3.5 million containers per year. A second terminal, 900 metres long, will be added in 2027, providing an additional capacity of 1.8 million containers.
The port will have two other terminals: a 540-metre-long general cargo terminal with a capacity to handle 3 million tonnes per year, operated by Marsa Maroc; and a 360-metre solid bulk terminal, which will handle up to 7 million tonnes per year. Both are also scheduled to come into operation in 2027.
The new Nador West Med Mediterranean port project is designed to handle an estimated annual capacity of five million containers and 35 million tonnes of liquid and solid bulk cargo.
By way of comparison, the latest figures published by the Tangier Med Port Authority for its activity in 2025 reveal that the Atlantic port handled more than 11 million containers and a total of 8.6 million tonnes of liquid bulk goods last year.
The future port of Nador West Med is expected to expand, depending on demand, to reach an annual capacity of 12 million containers and 15 million tonnes of liquid bulk goods.
Areas of activity
In addition to the cargo terminals, the port of Nador West Med will have an area of 700 hectares, in the first phase, dedicated to new areas of activity.
To connect these facilities to the national network, a budget of 14 billion dirhams (1.3 billion euros) has been allocated to rail, road and electricity connections.
The complex will benefit from a green electricity supply, produced from the wind and solar resources available in the region.
In terms of human resources, in line with Morocco's strategy to make ports true drivers of the economy and employment, this project will generate 14,000 direct jobs in the short term and 50,000 jobs by 2035, in addition to nearly 90,000 indirect jobs.