EBRD backs climate-resilient economic zone at Nador West Med: The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is extending a EUR 110 mn senior loan to Betoya Industriel and Logistic Zone (BILZ) to develop a climate-resilient economic zone within the Nador West Med (NWM) industrial port complex, according to a statement issued on Tuesday.

There is more: The sovereign-backed loan is supplemented by three grants totaling EUR 10.1 mn from EBRD, the multilateral Global Environment Facility, and the UK under the EBRD-sponsored High-Impact Partnership on Climate Action.

Where’s the money going? The financing will fund land development for the zone’s industrial and logistics platforms. It will also support sustainable and energy-efficient infrastructure developments, including an on-site desalination plant, two wastewater treatment plants, and energy-efficient street lighting.

About BILZ: BILZ — a wholly-owned subsidiary of state-run Société Nador West Med — was established in 2023 to manage and develop the economic zone adjacent to Nador West Med port.

This isn’t EBRD’s first financing for the Nador West Med project: The Bank previously extended a EUR 100 mn loan in 2022 to Société Nador West Med for the construction of the port, as a second tranche of a EUR 200 mn financing agreement inked in 2015.

NWM is getting a lot of attention: Marsa Maroc’s 25-year concession agreement for NWM’s Western Terminal — secured last month — is set to raise the port’s container handling capacity to 9 mn TEUs, with almost 7 mn TEUs dedicated to container transshipment. AfDB inked a EUR 129 mn agreement last year to support the development of economic zones as well as industrial and logistical facilities at the port.

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