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Casablanca — The Moroccan National Office of Hydrocarbons and Mines (ONHYM) held a series of high-level meetings this week in Washington focused on the Nigeria-Morocco Atlantic African Gas Pipeline project.
The meeting also coveredMorocco’s role in the energy and strategic minerals sectors.
ONHYM Director General Amina Benkhadra led the delegation, which met with several American institutions, international organizations, and research centers.
According to a statement from ONHYM, discussions took place with the US Department of Energy, the State Department, the National Security Council at the White House, the World Bank Group, Mission 300, the US International Development Finance Corporation, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the Stimson Center, and the Atlantic Council’s Global Energy Center.
The talks focused largely on the Atlantic African Gas Pipeline (AAGP), also known as the Morocco-Nigeria gas pipeline. ONHYM described the project as one of the most ambitious energy projects in Africa because of its regional scale and its potential economic and energy impact.
The Moroccan delegation presented the latest progress on the project, including the completion of feasibility studies and Front End Engineering Design studies, known as FEED. ONHYM also said terms for the Intergovernmental Agreement have been adopted.
The agreement will define the governance framework of the pipeline among ECOWAS member states and is expected to be signed by the heads of state of the countries involved.
Work is also continuing on the institutional structure of the project ahead of the Final Investment Decision (FID).
Discussions in Washington also covered the future project company that will oversee financial structuring, operational development, and coordination of implementation.
ONHYM said the meetings also addressed growing links between the gas pipeline corridor and the development of critical and strategic mineral resources, which are considered important for energy transition value chains.
The institutions and think tanks involved in the meetings expressed interest in both the AAGP project and Morocco’s position in the energy and mining sectors, according to the statement.
The Washington meetings come as the AAGP moves into a more advanced stage. The 6,900-kilometer pipeline is planned to cross 13 West African countries with a capacity of 30 billion cubic meters per year.
The project will be developed in phases through a joint company created by ONHYM and Nigeria’s NNPC, with initial gas deliveries currently expected around 2031.
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