Morocco Plans $815 Million Tanger Med Expansion as Nador West Med Nears Opening

Morocco is preparing an 8 billion Moroccan dirham ($815 million) expansion of the Tanger Med industrial port complex, as the country strengthens its position in Mediterranean shipping and develops new infrastructure for energy imports.

King Mohammed VI reviewed the Tanger Med expansion and the Nador West Med port project on October 28, with Nador West Med expected to begin operations within days, according to a statement from the Royal Office.

The Nador West Med development, located in northeastern Morocco, has attracted 54 billion dirhams in public and private investment. Its planned energy facilities include potential hydrocarbon storage capacity of 4 million cubic metres and liquefied natural gas processing capacity of 5 billion cubic metres a year.

The Tanger Med 3 project will add annual container-handling capacity of 4.5 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs), supported by 1,200 metres of quays. A concession agreement for the terminal has been signed with Maersk-APM, the Royal Office said.

The expansion is intended to help Morocco develop an efficient port network capable of competing as global supply chains change. Disruptions to shipping routes across the region have highlighted the importance of reliable maritime connections between Europe, Africa and Asia.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called on October 26 for navigational rights and freedoms to be restored around the Strait of Hormuz and Bab al-Mandab, two important routes for international trade and energy shipments.

Strengthening Mediterranean trade

The Tanger Med expansion could increase the port complex’s total container-handling capacity to 20 million TEUs annually, further strengthening Morocco’s role in Mediterranean commerce.

The port handled 11.1 million TEUs in 2025, an increase of 8.4 per cent from the previous year, according to the port authority. The growth was attributed mainly to the latest expansion of the TC4 terminal, operated by APM Terminals.

The additional capacity is expected to support rising cargo volumes and improve the port’s ability to accommodate international shipping demand.

Diversifying energy supplies

Nador West Med’s planned LNG infrastructure could provide Morocco with another route for importing natural gas. Algeria halted supplies through the Maghreb-Europe pipeline at the end of October 2021 after its transit agreement expired. Reverse flows from Spain to Morocco began in June 2022.

An LNG import terminal would give Morocco greater flexibility in sourcing gas, although it would not protect the country from international price fluctuations or disruptions to shipping.

Nador West Med’s first container terminal is ultimately expected to handle 3.5 million TEUs annually. A second terminal, with capacity for 1.8 million TEUs, is scheduled to begin operations in April 2027.

The two terminals represent a separate 8 billion dirhams in private investment, according to the Royal Office.

Together, the projects form part of Morocco’s broader effort to expand port capacity, diversify energy supply routes and strengthen its position in regional and international trade.