Insight into the Underwater Tunnel Project in Strait of Gibraltar Linking Morocco and Spain
The governments of Spain and Morocco have announced €2.3 million funding for the design study of a proposed underwater tunnel project between the two countries. This ambitious project, if completed, would develop the Strait of Gibraltar into a safe gateway for energy products from Africa and the Middle East to Europe.
The Strait of Gibraltar, connecting the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, separates the Iberian Peninsula in Europe from Morocco in Africa. The tunnel, spanning 38 kilometres with 27 kilometres underwater, is expected to have a maximum depth of 475m and a slope of 3%.
The project's origins can be traced back to a joint declaration made by Spain and Morocco in Fez on June 16, 1979. Since then, extensive studies have been conducted over the last 35 years, the latest of which were recently presented to the representative of the Spanish Government by the Spanish Society of Studies for a Fixed Link through the Strait of Gibraltar (SECEGSA).
In 2006, Lombardi Engineering Ltd, a Swiss engineering company, was selected to design the tunnel. The Spanish government has transferred the funds for the design study to SECEGSA. The National Society for Strait of Gibraltar Studies (SNED) in Rabat and SECEGSA in Madrid are the research companies responsible for the project.
The tunnel's construction is expected to commence in 2030. The Spanish research firm SECEGSA will resume expert coordination meetings with Morocco regarding the project. Notably, the project has gained renewed interest due to the Nigeria-Morocco Gas Pipeline and the restoration of ties between Spain and Morocco.
In April 2021, the project was discussed in a videoconference between Abdelkader Amara, the Moroccan Minister of Transport, and his Spanish counterpart José Luis Abalos. The two ministers agreed to convene a new joint intergovernmental meeting in Casablanca, Morocco, in the coming months to discuss the railway tunnel project further.
In addition to the Spanish and Moroccan governments, Vodafone UK and EniCo have joined the list of companies contributing to the project's development. Vodafone UK has been awarded a communication services contract, while EniCo is conducting the financial feasibility study.
While not directly related to the Strait of Gibraltar tunnel project, it is worth noting that the Laayoune Bridge in Morocco is expected to be inaugurated in 2022.
King Hassan II of Morocco and King Juan Carlos I of Spain have both expressed a wish to support the advancement of the Morocco-Spain tunnel project. The project aims to deliver a fixed link between Africa and Europe, across the Strait of Gibraltar, and could revolutionise the transportation and energy sectors if realised.
