Energy hungry Morocco has put out a call for proposals to site a floating storage and regasification unit off either its Mediterranean or Atlantic coasts as the country looks to solve its energy challenges.

The Ministry of Energy, Mines and the Environment’s Directorate of Fuels has asked for expressions of interests from companies who could participate in a tender in the development, design, financing, construction, operation and maintenance of the FSRU.

Four port sites — Port Nador West Med in the north, and Kenitra Atlantique, Jorf Lasfar and Mohammedia on the west coast—are being listed as potential locations.

The ministry is targeting a planned start-up in 2025.

It said the FSRU would need to supply a gradually developing natural gas market, which would start at around 0.6bn cbm (bcm) in 2025 and grow to 0.7 bcm in 2030. It is expected to grow by 3 bcm in 2040, of which 1.4 bcm would be for industrial use.

Responses are due to be submitted by 31 May.

Morocco has been flirting with the idea of LNG imports since 2007, looking at either an FSRU or a land-based LNG terminal solution.

In 2019, ministry officials said Port Nador West Med was emerging as the favourite location to enable the country to participate in the storage and regasification market in Europe.

At this time, a planned start date in 2021 was mooted to dovetail with the end of a pipeline gas contract with Algeria.

In its documentation, the ministry said Morocco’s energy sector is undergoing “extremely significant changes” both economically, technical and at geopolitical levels.

It said the country is a net energy importer and must look at diversification, continuity and security of supply, competitiveness of its economy, the impact of price volatility and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

The ministry said its studies show the “growing importance of the need for natural gas as an energy source” and highlighted its growing production, falling prices and international availability.

It said a gas code has been drawn up that will act as a guide for the development of infrastructures and a more competitive market.