By Nibal Zgheib
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is enhancing the climate resilience of ports along Morocco’s Atlantic coastline by providing a €40 million loan to Agence Nationale des Ports (ANP).
The loan is the first to a Moroccan state-owned entity without a sovereign guarantee. It will comprise two tranches: a €15 million(US$15.5million) committed loan and €25 million of uncommitted capital. The loan will be supplemented by an investment grant of US$ 5.7 million from the Global Environment Facility (GEF).
EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso and ANP signed the agreement at the Bank’s 31st Annual Meeting and Business Forum in Marrakech. Moroccan Minister of Equipment and Water Nizar BarakaMinister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development Leila Benali, ANP General Director Nadia Laraki, GEF representatives and EBRD senior management attended the signing.
The EBRD will also furnish ANP with a comprehensive technical capacity package, funded by a US$ 500,000 grant from the GEF and a US$ 1 million grant from the Bank itself. The package aims to provide systematic support for the climate resilience of Moroccan ports. It will lead to the establishment of a working group, comprising key stakeholders in the Moroccan port sector, to facilitate informed and climate-aware decision-making, as well as better environmental management and standards for ANP.
Further technical assistance will support the effective implementation and monitoring of the project, as well as an improvement in ANP’s financial reporting standards.
Minister of Equipment and Water Nizar Baraka said: “The project is in line with Morocco’s national strategic management plan, with ANP set to play a key role in large-scale infrastructure projects aimed at keeping up with changes in maritime transport and trade outside of Morocco.”
EBRD President Odile Renaud-Basso said: “The Bank is committed to promoting green transition and climate resilience in Morocco and in all economies where it operates. Supporting ANP, together with the GEF, in mainstreaming climate change adaptation measures in the port sector will provide a replicable model for Morocco and the region.”
ANP General Manager Nadia Laraki welcomed the conclusion of the contractual process with the EBRD and thanked the GEF for its commitment. She also indicated that the sub-projects financed by the loan would reflect ANP’s commitment to making climate change a real input to its strategic vision.
Morocco is a founding member of the EBRD and became an investee economy in 2012. To date, the EBRD has invested more than €3.4 billion in Morocco through 85 projects.
