The Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited has signed a series of memoranda with the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Commission; the Mauritanian Hydrocarbons Company (SMH); Senegal’s national oil company, Petrosen; and the Moroccan National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM) for the 7,000km Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline.
The agreements were signed in Morocco’s capital city of Rabat on 15 September in the presence of representatives from each country.
The agreement is set to reinforce European energy security and assist with the sustainable development of West African countries.
“Some of the benefits include the creation of wealth and improvement in the standard of living, integration of the economies within the region, mitigation against desertification, and other benefits that will accrue as a result of reduction in carbon emissions,” stated Mele Kyari, Group CEO of NNPC Limited, adding, “NNPC is well-positioned to progress the project by leveraging its experience and technical capabilities ranging from gas production, processing, transmission, and marketing as well as its vast experience in executing major gas infrastructure projects in Nigeria.”
The $25 billion project, which will be constructed over six phases over the next 25 years, will connect Nigeria’s immense gas supply to Europe through over a dozen countries along Africa’s west coast, including Benin, Togo, Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea-Conakry, The Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania, and Morocco.
Upon completion, the pipeline will comprise 13 compressor stations, supplying approximately 3 billion cubic feet of natural gas to international markets, and providing energy to approximately 340 million people while reducing gas flaring and encouraging the diversification of energy resources in Nigeria.
Set to become the longest offshore pipeline and second-longest pipeline in the world, the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline is expected to alleviate poverty in the region, promote socio economic development, and mitigate against desertification through sustainable and reliable gas supply and a reduction in carbon emissions.
