Novak Promotes Russian Firms on Morocco Trip
Russian energy minister Alexander Novak has pitched his country's interest in a major, but deferred, multi-billion dollar tender in Morocco.
Moroccan state power and water utility ONEE announced May 2016 that 93 companies had expressed an interest in a future tender to develop an integrated project comprising a 5bn m³/yr onshore LNG import terminal, pipelines and 2.4 GW of combined cycle (CCGT) power plants. Political decisions, including on the mega-tender, however were stalled by elections last October and slow progress in forming a new government.
"We are interested in the construction of a regasification terminal, transport infrastructure, and construction of a gas power plant," Novak told Moroccan energy minister Aziz Rabbah on September 21 -- a meeting in which Novak was accompanied by representatives of Russian independent gas producer Novatek (Denis Khramov) and state-controlled power firm Rosseti (Konstantin Petukhov).
According to a ministry statement, Novak pointed out that the first 5.5mn mt/yr train of the 16.5mn mt/yr Novatek-led Yamal LNG complex is due to start producing by end-2017, adding that by 2023, Novatek plans to start building another such 16.5mn mt/yr LNG plant (Arctic LNG).
The potential for Russian cooperation with Morocco was not however limited to LNG supply, added Novak. In the past five years, 30 GW of capacity had been commissioned in Russia, he said: "We are ready to support the modernisation of the grid economy in Morocco; the key to successful co-operation is the experience of Rosseti."
Morocco's energy ministry said that Novak's visit fitted into the framework of a memo of understanding (MoU) signed during a previous visit by King Mohammed VI to Moscow; that MoU defined areas of cooperation, including on LNG, LPG, electricity, renewables, and oil & gas exploration. Such agreements may be fleshed out, Rabat indicated, during a planned visit in October 2017 by Morocco's prime minister to Moscow.
Moroccan energy minister Aziz Rabbah (left) shakes hands with his Russian counterpart Alexander Novak, September 21 2017 (Photo credit: Moroccan energy ministry)
Novak's visit to North Africa also included Algeria where he promoted Russian independent Lukoil's interest in taking part in upstream projects in a meeting with his Algerian counterpart Mustapha Guitouni on September 20, reported TASS and Algerian state news agency APS. The meeting was held on the sidelines of an intergovernmental Russia-Algeria trade co-operation council meeting.
Algerian energy minister Mustapha Guitouni (right) with Novak, September 20 2017 (Photo credit: Russian energy ministry)
Mark Smedley