Morocco is preparing to launch a tender in the summer months with the aim of building a floating liquefied natural gas terminal in the western Mediterranean port of Nador in the northeast of the country, according to what was said by the official in charge of oil and gas in the Moroccan Ministry of Energy, Abdel Ghafour El Hajoui.

Al-Hajjawi explained, in a presentation, that the Moroccan Ministry of Energy expects to achieve financial closure for the project next year, and to begin the construction, operation and commercial operations phase in 2026.

It is planned to connect the new station to an existing pipeline that will help Morocco import 0.5 billion cubic meters of liquefied natural gas annually from Spanish terminals, enough to operate two small electricity production plants, according to Reuters.

It is also planned that the pipeline will be connected to gas fields being developed in the east and west of the country.

The Ministry of Energy expects Morocco's natural gas needs to rise from one billion cubic meters currently to eight billion cubic meters in 2027.

The port of Nador, located in the western Mediterranean, is a deep-water port under construction, and is expected to have a capacity of 3.5 million containers.