Spain Allocates €1.6 Million for Morocco-Spain Underwater Tunnel Study
Doha – Spain has allocated €1.6 million to study the viability of an underwater tunnel connecting Europe and Africa. As reported by Spanish news outlets, the Spanish Ministry of Transport, led by Óscar Puente, reduced the initial budget from €2.4 million after modifying some planned tasks.
The ambitious project would create a submarine tunnel through the Strait of Gibraltar. This strategic connection would link Europe with Africa through one of the world's most important maritime crossings.
The Spanish government is using European Next Generation funds to finance the technical support work. Ineco, a public company, will conduct the study to determine financial viability of construction alternatives.
Two possible entry points are being considered on the Spanish side. One option is Algeciras with its strategic port and railway connections. The other is the coast near Tarifa, Europe's southernmost city.
The tunnel would stretch 38.5 kilometers, with 27.7 kilometers running underwater. It would consist of two railway tunnels beneath the seabed.
'This permanent link infrastructure across the Strait would constitute an essential link in the Euro-Mediterranean transport network,' the Ministry of Transport stated. 'The facilitation of passenger, goods and services flows will produce a quantitative and qualitative acceleration of the economy.'
Herrenknecht, the world-leading German company in tunnel development and implementation, is studying construction feasibility. They aim to complete their assessment by June, according to SECEGSA, the Spanish Company for Studies on Fixed Communication across the Gibraltar Strait.
This work will complement Ineco's study, which will have physical and financial feasibility reports ready by summer. Their activities include 'the feasibility of excavating the breaches by reviewing the considerations of the 2007 preliminary project regarding the construction method, as well as the flysch formations,' according to SECEGSA.
In November, the Iberian government proceeded to rent four seismometers for more than €480,000 to study the seabed of the Strait of Gibraltar. The rental contract with purchase option was awarded to TEKPAM Ingeniería SL, a Madrid-based company specializing in seismology, telecommunications, and solar energy.
The project dates back to 1980 when Madrid and Rabat signed an agreement on the Europe-Africa fixed link project. This agreement created two national companies to study project feasibility: SECEGSA for Spain and the National Company for Studies of the Strait of Gibraltar (SNED) for Morocco.
Since then, numerous studies have been conducted to 'understand the site's difficulties from a geological, oceanographic, seismic, and meteorological point of view,' as SECEGSA explains on its website. Deep land drilling, geotechnical tests, and experimental galleries in Tarifa and Tangier have been part of this work.
In 2014, another deployment of three seismometers was carried out in collaboration with Spanish Navy vessels. Four decades of technical studies and renewed Commitment
Several options, including both bridge and tunnel designs, were studied to connect the two shores of the Strait. Some sources suggest the final choice was a tunnel between Punta Paloma and Tangier.
The project advanced significantly following the improved bilateral relations between Spain and Morocco. This progress came after President Pedro Sánchez's visit to Rabat in April 2022, which resolved a serious diplomatic crisis.
During the High-Level Meeting between Spain and Morocco held in February 2023 in Rabat, then-Transport Minister Raquel Sánchez announced new momentum for the studies of what she described as a 'strategic project' for both countries.
The project was reactivated in April of that year with a telematic meeting of the Spanish-Moroccan joint committee. The Ministry of Transport made it clear that these are only studies for now. New agreements between the two countries would be necessary for the tunnel's actual construction.
One of the models inspiring the project is the Eurotunnel connecting France and the United Kingdom. That infrastructure, managed by a private company with business participation, is a key technical and financial precedent for the connection between Europe and Africa.
Despite the new momentum, the tunnel project still faces numerous obstacles. The Strait's geology, seismic activity, channel depth, and the extremely high cost present enormous technical and financial challenges.
The 2030 FIFA World Cup co-hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco has added more value to the project. However, experts agree it is unlikely to be ready by that time, given the project's complexity and the preliminary stage of studies. Current projections suggest completion could be pushed back to 2040.
Read also: Spain-Morocco Undersea Tunnel Carries Hefty €15 Billion Price Tag Tags: Morocco Spain relationsspain Morocco tunnelStrait of Gibraltar
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