Morocco Cancels Concession Tender for Casablanca Shipyard
Morocco’s National Ports Agency (ANP) has reportedly cancelled the concession tender for Casablanca shipyard. ANP had launched the tender process in April last year seeking a private operator to upgrade and operate the yard for 30 years. Preliminary results for the tender were expected in July 2025. This was later delayed, with ANP saying the winner would be announced in August 2026, then delayed again until December 31.
Now, after the 18-month delay, ANP has decided to cancel the tender and says it has adopted a new strategic direction for the yard. According to local media reports, the ANP board is said to have considered national sovereignty concerns. Other factors which were mentioned include a new focus towards national control of critical maritime assets, aligning with the vision of the Moroccan royal family.
In a speech in 2023, King Mohammed VI directed for development of a “strong, competitive national commercial marine fleet.” In the same year, a Moroccan public think-tank - the Economic, Social and Environmental Council (CESE) - highlighted shipbuilding as a potential high-growth sector for the Moroccan economy. The Casablanca Shipyard was one of the designated shipbuilding zones. With a projected cost over $300 million, the shipyard would have been the largest in Africa if fully built. The yard was planned to cover a 21 hectare site with a 244-meter by 40-meter dry dock.
ANP made its first attempt to concession the yard back in 2019 but failed to attract any bids. Around that time, ANP also tried to negotiate with France’s Naval Group to operate the yard without reaching an agreement. The tender re-launched in April last year has now ended with a cancellation.
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Sources within ANP quoted by local media indicated that the cancellation had nothing to do with the candidates or their offers. Notably, the tender round had attracted global shipbuilding giants. One bidding consortium was backed by Morocco’s Somagec, South Korea’s HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Turkey’s Kuzey Star Shipyard.
The other consortium included Morocco’s Radi Holding, Spain’s Marina Meridional and the Chinese Ningbo Xinle Shipbuilding Group. In addition, Italian operator San Giorgio del Porto submitted an individual bid.
