The three major South Korean shipyards have officially entered the race for Africa’s largest naval project. Hanwha Ocean and Samsung Heavy Industries have joined the bidding process to obtain the operational rights for the new shipyard in Casablanca, which also includes the strong competition from Palumbo, the group that aimed to operate at the port of Granadilla with the political backing of the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Port Authority during Ricardo Melchior’s time. With this move, the leading trio from South Korea, which already included HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, is now fully aligned in the bidding.
Morocco’s renewed entry into the ship repair business comes as officials in Tenerife hinder investment in Granadilla. The south of Tenerife is where Africom hopes to operate as a complement to its future base in Kenitra. Morocco facilitates the bidding process, while in Tenerife it is stalled, and in Las Palmas, the repair space is at its limit, with interference from the Las Palmas City Council over port land through the Defense Ministry to place a wastewater treatment plant. If the competition to the Canary Islands is Morocco, in Las Palmas, the largest operator, Astican, is Greek-owned. That is to say: the Spanish business quota, so to speak, is minimal. Additionally, the Moroccan state has purchased 45% of Boluda TM’s terminals in the Canary Islands.
Kidnapping in Tenerife
The shipyard will be located in Casablanca, the country’s main economic city and the largest commercial port on the Moroccan Atlantic coast. The complex will cover an area of approximately 210,000 square meters and will entail an investment of around $300 million. The planned facilities include a 244-meter-long and 40-meter-wide dry dock, a 150 by 28-meter lifting platform with a capacity of 9,000 tons, a 62 by 13-meter tank equipped with a 450-ton gantry crane, and an 820-meter berthing dock, among other key infrastructures. The shipyard will be capable of building and repairing merchant, military, and fishing vessels, making it the largest and most advanced in Africa. There is also a shipyard planned in Dakhla to meet the service demands of fishing companies.
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries took the first step by partnering with the Moroccan engineering firm Somagec to prepare its proposal. However, following reports published by foreign media, a spokesperson for Samsung Heavy Industries from Seoul cautioned that “we are not currently reviewing any related matters”, which the sector interprets as a strategy of keeping a low profile rather than withdrawing.
During the bidding process, the South Korean groups have emphasized localization strategies to differentiate themselves from their European competitors. Their proposals include support for industrial investment in Morocco, training programs, development of local talent, and technology transfer plans, all key elements to convince Rabat that the project will have a long-term structural impact.
The bidding is not limited to Asia. Alongside the three South Korean giants, interest has also been confirmed by the Bulgarian shipyard MTG Dolphin, the Italian group Palumbo Group, the French Naval Group, and the Spanish state shipbuilder Navantia. However, industry experts consider it unlikely that Navantia will be awarded the contract, as the bidding aims to strengthen Morocco’s industrial autonomy against its Spanish counterparts.
The process is managed by the National Port Agency of Morocco (MNP), which is bidding for the operational rights for 30 years for the new shipyard. Participation is restricted to companies with more than ten years of shipyard operation experience, and the deadline for submitting bids ended on December 31, 2025. The MNP has acknowledged that, due to Morocco’s limited experience in shipbuilding, the State has chosen to delegate operational management to a foreign group, while retaining oversight of development, operation, and maintenance of the infrastructure.
A $300 million complex
The shipyard will be located in Casablanca, the country’s main economic city and the largest commercial port on the Moroccan Atlantic coast. The complex will occupy an area of approximately 210,000 square meters and will entail an investment of around $300 million. The planned facilities include a 244-meter-long and 40-meter-wide dry dock, a 150 by 28-meter lifting platform with a capacity of 9,000 tons, a 62 by 13-meter tank equipped with a 450-ton gantry crane, and an 820-meter berthing dock, among other key infrastructures. The shipyard will be capable of building and repairing merchant, military, and fishing vessels, which would make it the largest and most advanced in Africa. With this bidding process, Morocco seeks not only to attract foreign investment but also to strategically reposition itself in the global shipbuilding chain, reinforcing its industrial ambition and directly competing with traditional centers in southern Europe and the Canary Islands as a hub for the Central Atlantic.
