Morocco’s Energy Transition Ministry has suspended all tenders linked to the planned pipeline and a gas terminal at Nador West Med after the Ministry of Economy and Finance formally opposed the project, according to Reuters.
The freeze halts the selection process launched in December for what was set to be one of the country’s most strategic energy projects.
The energy ministry said the pause was due to “new parameters and hypotheses” affecting the project’s design.
The decision was dictated by the Finance Ministry, which raised concerns over budget exposure, procedural shortcomings and legal uncertainty surrounding Morocco’s pending gas regulatory framework, according to Reuters which cited a document and a source.
The cancelled tender, published on December 5, aimed to attract national and international operators for the construction of a pipeline that would link the LNG terminal to the Maghreb‑Europe pipeline and the extension of the gas network toward Kenitra and Mohammedia industrial hubs.
Several global energy companies had already expressed interest before the surprise halt, Le Desk reported.
The decision was made as Morocco is debating a law on gas projects.
Reuters cited the finance ministry expressing commitment to the gas projects and readiness to relaunch them once concerns are addressed.
The Energy Ministry said it will provide updates in line with competition rules but gave no timeline for resuming the tender process.
