Morocco will open two new deepwater ports on its Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts as part of a national push to expand energy, mineral and green hydrogen trade, with operations scheduled to begin in 2026 at Nador West Med and in 2028 at Dakhla.
The ports, confirmed by Equipment and Water Minister Nizar Baraka, are designed to replicate the operational scale and industrial influence of Tanger Med, Africa’s largest port, and to strengthen Morocco’s position as a logistical bridge between Africa, Europe and global shipping routes.
The strategy represents one of the country’s most ambitious infrastructure expansions in decades. Nador West Med, under construction on the Mediterranean, will be the first to open. The port is planned as an integrated industrial hub offering 800 hectares of development space in its initial phase, with long-term capacity to expand to 5,000 hectares.
According to the minister, the facility will host Morocco’s first liquefied natural gas terminal through a floating storage and regasification unit that will be connected to industrial centres in the northwest by pipeline. This LNG link is central to Morocco’s ongoing efforts to reduce reliance on coal and transition toward cleaner fuels while securing energy for fast-growing manufacturing zones.
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The scale of Nador West Med positions it as more than a maritime gateway. Its industrial park is expected to surpass the current zones surrounding Tanger Med, which by 2024 hosted more than 1,400 companies employing 130,000 people in automotive production, aeronautics, agri-food, textiles and renewable energy technologies. That industrialization model is now being extended eastward through Nador, offering Morocco additional capacity to attract manufacturers seeking proximity to European markets.
On the Atlantic coast, the Dakhla deepwater port is taking shape as a billion-dollar anchor project in the disputed Western Sahara region. It will be Morocco’s deepest port at 23 meters, allowing it to handle vessels supporting heavy industries such as mineral processing and bulk cargo shipping.
The project is surrounded by 6,000 hectares allocated for industrial activity and 5,200 hectares earmarked for farmland irrigated through desalinated water. Its design is tied to Morocco’s strategy to establish Dakhla as a logistics and export platform for landlocked Sahel states that currently face high transport costs and limited port access.
Beyond conventional cargo, both Nador West Med and Dakhla will include dedicated quays for exporting green hydrogen once large-scale production begins. Morocco is positioning itself as a future supplier of green hydrogen and green ammonia to Europe, leveraging high solar and wind potential and attracting interest from international investors seeking secure supply routes. Ports with hydrogen-ready infrastructure are central to that plan, particularly as the EU accelerates its demand for low-carbon fuels.
The two new ports will join Tanger Med and Jorf Lasfar – an Atlantic hub for energy, phosphates and bulk cargo, as Morocco’s third and fourth deepwater facilities. Together, they form a growing network that aligns with the country’s broader strategy to modernize logistics, expand industrial capacity and integrate African trade more tightly with global markets.
The government is also studying a potential port in Tan-Tan in partnership with green hydrogen developers, a sign that port-led industrialization is becoming a long-term national policy rather than a single investment cycle.
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Morocco’s port expansion is unfolding against a backdrop of rising regional demand for reliable deepwater infrastructure capable of handling both traditional commodities and emerging energy carriers. As global shipping patterns evolve and Europe accelerates its energy transition, Morocco is positioning itself to capture new flows of LNG, minerals and green hydrogen.
The opening of Nador West Med in 2026 and Dakhla in 2028 marks the next phase of that shift, reinforcing the country’s role as a maritime and industrial gateway between Africa and the world.
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