Africa Plans To Build Underwater Gas Pipeline Joining Nigeria And Morocco To Supply Gas To EU

Instead of the Russian Federation.

Nigeria and Morocco could be connected by the world's longest underwater gas pipeline. They will be able to supply natural gas from Africa to the EU, which reduces purchases from Russian Gazprom, Novoe Vremya writes.

Last week, a memorandum of understanding was signed in Rabat (Morocco) on a gas pipeline project connecting Nigeria and Morocco. It will also supply natural gas to the countries of West Africa and Europe.

The document was signed by the heads of the National Nigerian Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), the Moroccan Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) energy official. This is said in the joint statement of the signatories.

The signed text “Reaffirms the commitment of ECOWAS and all countries involved to contribute to the feasibility of this important project,” the statement said.

African media reports that the project is taking place in a geopolitical context characterized by high international demand for gas and oil and a surge in prices following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The project will affect 16 African countries. The 6,000 km gas pipeline will cross 13 African countries along the Atlantic coast, and will also supply gas to landlocked countries: Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali.

It is expected that the capacity of the gas pipeline will be 5 billion cubic meters of gas per year.

In the future, it will be connected to the Maghreb-Europe (MEG) gas pipeline, which connects Morocco and Spain.

The cost of construction is estimated at $25 billion, which can be financed from several sources. It first became known at the end of 2016. However, there is no specific timeline for the implementation of the project.

At the end of July this year, the energy ministers of Algeria, Nigeria and Nigeria signed a memorandum of understanding to implement the competing 4,000 km Trans-Sahara Gas Pipeline (TSGP) megaproject to transport Nigerian gas to Europe via Niger and Algeria.

Nigeria ranks first in Africa with proven natural gas reserves. Explored gas reserves in Nigeria are at least 5.8 trillion cubic meters, projected ones are up to 17 trillion cubic meters. The country is already a significant player in the LNG market.