With its geographical advantages and industrial experience, Morocco aims to structure a regional shipbuilding industry amid a continuous rise in African maritime traffic.
Through its National Ports Agency (ANP), Morocco has recently launched a call for tenders to award a concession for the operation of its future shipyard in Casablanca. This initiative seeks to position the country as a regional alternative in response to the saturation of European shipyards.
Estimated to cost $300 million, the project — touted as the largest shipyard in Africa — will span 21 hectares within the port of Casablanca. It is designed for the maintenance, repair, and potentially the construction of commercial, military, and fishing vessels. According to the ANP, the project draws direct inspiration from the automotive industry model, which has enabled Morocco to become a key player in industrial exports.
“We want to replicate the success model of the automotive industry,” said Abdellatif Lhouaoui, ANP’s communications director, in an interview with Bloomberg. “We aim to capture part of the demand that is currently heading toward the saturated shipyards of Southern Europe,” he added. This strategy specifically targets African and Mediterranean shipowners, who are struggling to secure slots in European facilities, while also boosting Morocco’s national fleet maintenance capabilities.
Although Morocco already operates shipyards in Casablanca and Agadir, they are mostly dedicated to fishing fleet maintenance and small-scale technical operations. None match the industrial scale or versatility envisioned in the new project. The future complex aims to scale up by equipping the country with infrastructure capable of competing with major Mediterranean hubs. ANP’s call for tenders offers a 30-year concession to an operator or consortium with at least ten years of experience managing similarly sized shipyards. The concessionaire will be responsible for developing, equipping, operating, and maintaining the entire site.
The complex will include a 244-meter-long dry dock, a 150-meter shiplift capable of hoisting up to 9,000 tons, a 450-ton gantry crane for heavy-duty operations, and 820 meters of outfitting quays. The whole site will cover 21 hectares. These features will position Casablanca ahead of currently operational shipyards in Africa, including those in South Africa, long considered the continental benchmark. In South Africa, the main dry dock, located in Simon’s Town, is 240 meters long and reserved for the national navy. In Durban, the Sandock Austral shipyard operates a floating dock with a 5,000-ton capacity, suitable for mid-sized vessels.
Potential bidders include Naval Group (France) and Hyundai Heavy Industries (South Korea), two major players in the sector. According to Construction Review Online, citing Spanish media outlet El Confidencial, the Casablanca shipyard is designed to compete directly with Spanish facilities, particularly those operated by Navantia, whose chances of winning the concession are reportedly limited.
Source : Agence Ecofin
