April 28, 2024 – 07:00 – Morocco
Paris is focusing on economic rapprochement to break the diplomatic tensions between Rabat and Paris. Recently, the Quai d’Orsay authorized French development banks such as Proparco, a subsidiary of the French development agency focused on the private sector, and the public investment bank Bpifrance to finance projects in the Sahara. Last week, Bruno Le Maire, the French Minister of Economy and Finance, announced that the French government is willing to participate in the financing of a 3 gigawatt electricity cable between Casablanca and Dakhla. “You are going to produce energy in the Dakhla region, you need it in the Casablanca metropolis, electricity networks must be built to transport that energy. I confirm to you that we are ready to participate in the financing of this infrastructure,” said he during a Moroccan-French business forum in Rabat. During a visit to Casablanca in early April, Franck Riester, the French Minister of Foreign Trade, had already announced that Proparco could possibly contribute to the financing of a high-voltage line between Dakhla and Casablanca.
Also read: International competition for Moroccan HSL
With this, Paris is trying to catch up in the competition for the ONCF tender for the expansion of the Kenitra-Marrakech high-speed line. It wants to prevent Spain and Germany from staying ahead of France in this market. “In Morocco there is now a drive for efficiency in the run-up to the 2030 World Cup. According to my sources, Morocco wants to put the first Kenitra-Marrakech line into service in September 2029. Since the first part of the project has been realized with Alstom, it would from an operation and maintenance point of view, it would be a bit complicated to change builders for the second part. So there is an interest in technical continuity,” analyzes Michel Vialatte, public policy consultant at Challenge. Economist Ahmed Azirar agrees: “France has similar advantages on the HSL file. It would be complicated to change technology.”
Also read: Moroccan HSL at the center of European rivalry
The Kenitra-Marrakech line, designed for a maximum speed of 350 km/h, will be operated at 320 km/h on a route of approximately 450 km. The intention is to connect Tangier directly to Marrakech without going via Casablanca. Two routes have been proposed for the train’s arrival in Casablanca. The high-speed line will also go via an alternative route past Benslimane (the new stadium) to Nouaceur. A new station or distribution center will be built here. The Kenitra-Marrakech HSL project aims to revolutionize travel between the two cities. It is part of the ONCF’s ambitious plan to connect Morocco’s cities, ports and airports via high-speed connections at speeds of up to 350 kilometers per hour. The costs are estimated at more than 50 billion dirhams. Last week, the ONCF issued a tender for the supply of interchangeable equipment for this major project.
