Morocco’s Office National de l’Electricite et de l’Eau Potable (ONEE) has launched a tender seeking advisers for projects to build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal as well as associated pipelines and a jetty.

It is part of a $4.6bn gas-to-power project at Jorf Lasfar, which was launched in December 2014 and is located 118 kilometres from Casablanca.

The planned import terminal will have a capacity of 7 billion cubic metres and is expected to cost about $800m, while the budget for the associated pipelines and jetty is expected to be $600m.

The deadline for bid submissions on both projects is 21 October and the results will be announced on the same day.

ONEE is also planning to build four 600MW gas-fired power plants.

The scope of the pipeline package is expected to include:

• Natural gas pipeline to connect combined-cycle power plants and natural gas underground storage facilities
• High-pressure gas pipeline connecting LNG terminal to the existing Maghreb Europe high-pressure gas pipeline (GME)
• Associated works

The import terminal package is expected to include:

• Storage tanks
• Regasification unit
• Pipelines
• Metering system
• Security system
• Instrumentation control system linked to the floating storage regasification unit (FSRU)
• Inlet isolation valve arrangement
• Firewater system (seawater-based)
• Associated works

Morocco is the biggest energy importer in North Africa and has benefited financially from the drop in global energy prices over the past 18 months.