The Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline was built at a cost of USD $2.3 billion, it is 1,620 km in length and 48 inches in diameter. It stretches across Morocco from the Hassi R’Mel gas field in Algeria to the Strait of Gibraltar and the Iberian Peninsula, where it connects to an extensive European network of gas pipelines. Its current capacity is 12 billion cubic meters per year. EMPL operates the section in Morocco, of 540 km.
- 540 km on land – 48″ diameter and 80 bar service pressure
- 27 km under water — two lines of 22″ diameter, maximum service pressure of 155 bar & a maximum depth of 400 m.
- 2 compression stations: Ain Bni Mathar (Frontera) & Tangier (Estrecho)
- 22 switching valve positions – seven of them fitted with pig catchers
- Integrated Communications and Control System in Tangier provides communications between various control centres in Algeria & Spain. This center receives data by remote control on compression stations, valve positions, measurement stations & maintenance centers.
- Communication is primarily by fiber optic cables running along side the pipeline plus a backup connection that uses a specialized telephone line.
Currently, in lieu of tariffs, Morocco is extracting 800mmcmpd from the pipeline for the land crossing of the pipeline through its territory to Spain. Existing power plants are located at 2 extraction points on the pipeline:
Tahaddart 384 MW: Since its start-up in 2005, it has shown good financial health and expanding profits for the last 10 years. It covers 7% of national electricity consumping, producing 2.626 gWh in 2017.
Ain Beni Mathar 470 MW: Situated at the frontier between Morocco and Algeria.
Tahaddart has arable agricultural land and Beni Mathar has semi-desertic land both of which could be beneficiated from drip irrigation powered by electrical generation plants.
We will propose the acquisition of the Tahaddart Power Plant and a tripling of these two plants’ capacity, to 2,500 MW, utilizing aero-derivative CCGT systems, as described above.