The gas pipeline project linking the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Kingdom of Morocco is progressing and accumulating good news.
The latest concerns the signing of the legal documentation relating to the financing of part of the second phase of the detailed pre-project studies of the said project.
As announced by the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the OPEC Fund for International Development (OPEC FUND) has granted financing in the amount of 14.3 million dollars to the National Office Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM) for its contribution to the financing of the second phase of the detailed preliminary design study (FEED – Front-End engineering design).
According to a press release from the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the legal documentation relating to the said financing was signed by the Minister of Economy and Finance (Nadia Fettah), by exchange of correspondence, with the Director General of OPEC FUND (Abdulhamid Alkhalifa) and the Director General of ONHYM (Amina Benkhadra).
Co-financed with the Islamic Development Bank (IDB), the study “consists of preparing the documentation for the execution of the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline project and finalizing the related technical, financial and legal analyses”, indicated the Ministry of Economy and Finance in a press release made public on Friday April 29 welcoming a model of South-South cooperation.
“Through its support for this project, OPEC FUND thereby strengthens financial cooperation relations with Morocco and contributes to the economic and social dynamics of the Kingdom,” the same source pointed out.
Initiated by His Majesty King Mohammed VI and President Buhari, the strategic project of the Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline aims to be a catalyst for the economic development of the North West region of Africa, recalls the Department of economy.
“He has a strong desire for integration and for improving the region’s competitiveness and economic and social development,” he notes on his website.
This should be felt through, in particular, the acceleration of electrification and the development of the region’s energy autonomy; supporting development and improving the living conditions of local populations.
The Nigeria-Morocco gas pipeline should also contribute to the revitalization of the regional economy by the development of job-creating sectors as well as the reduction of gas “flaring” and the use of reliable and sustainable energy, assures -your.
As a reminder, the signing of this agreement comes just days after Australian engineering and consultancy firm WorleyParsons announced that it has been awarded a contract for the provision of major initial engineering design services (FEED Phase II) for the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline Project (NMGP).
“The realization of this project requires expertise from all over the world. All FEED services will be managed by Intecsea BV, our offshore engineering consultancy company in The Hague, The Netherlands. This includes the development of the project implementation framework and the supervision of the technical study”, according to the explanations of the company.
In a press release published on its website, the design office specified that “the FEED onshore perimeter, the environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) and the land acquisition studies (LAS) will be carried out by our team in London, UK”.
He further added that “the project will also be supported by our network of offices in Africa and our integrated global delivery team in Hyderabad, India.
Alain Bouithy