CMA CGM has confirmed that it has taken a stake in Nador West Med container port in Morocco, located about 120 nautical miles from the Strait of Gibraltar.
This facility has long been on the radar of the government of Morocco. Work on the harbour commenced in 2016, with completion largely finished in June 2024, whereupon domestic operator, Marsa Maroc was awarded a 25-year concession to develop and operate the 175-acre phase one facility in a US$200 million deal.
Marsa Maroc has now confirmed a partnership with CMA CGM, with the Moroccan company retaining a 51% stake in the project. The joint-venture plans to invest US$280 million by 2027 to develop a terminal with a 1.2 million TEU capacity and 762m (2,500ft) of quayside.
With a water depth alongside of 18m (59ft), the planned terminal will be able to accommodate the very largest ships in service on the Asia-Europe trades.
Morocco is also targeting a major role in renewable energy, and this is clearly a sector of interest to CMA CGM and specifically with regard to developing green bunkering hub facilities. “Our ambition is to support the country’s development, particularly in the forward-looking sectors of logistics and alternative energies,” states Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO, CMA CGM Group in a statement.
