Africa

We thought that human beings began to walk in Africa. This 7.2 million-year-old fossil says otherwise

by

The scientific consensus has been telling us for decades that the cradle of humanity and the origin of our ancestors who began to walk on two legs was in Africa. However, a new paleontological discovery in the Balkans just launched an order to this official story. More specifically, a fossilized femur that suggests our earliest ancestors may have started walking on two legs in Europe. A bone. The centerpiece of this discovery is a femur cataloged as FM3549AZM6 and found at the Azmaka site, in Bulgaria. From this, the research team began to analyze the bone down to the millimeter, highlighting above all the anatomy it had. Researchers here have identified key biomechanical traits that point to partial bipedal locomotion, meaning that our ancestor could walk on two legs. Specifically, they have seen that the neck of the femur is unusually long and it has specific muscle insertion points that strictly arboreal primates do not have. These characteristics suggest that Graecopithecus He spent considerable time walking upright on the ground. A new hypothesis. This finding does not come out of nowhere, since in 2017 this same team of researchers already raised eyebrows in the scientific community by suggesting that the evolutionary divergence between humans and chimpanzees could have occurred in the eastern Mediterranean, and not in Africa. That hypothesis was based on analysis of a jaw found in Greece and a tooth from Bulgaria attributed to Graecopithecus freybergi. Now it comes to light again. At that time, definitive proof of locomotion was missing, but Azmaka’s femur fills that gap that we needed to begin to reach clear conclusions. Why did they stand up? Evolution rarely occurs without a strong environmental push, and the Europe of 7 million years ago looked nothing like it does today. Here investigations at Bulgarian sites, such as the Struma Valley, show that the landscape was dominated by a savanna environment very similar to the African one, caused by a global confrontation and severe droughts in the Mediterranean. This loss of dense forests would have forced the region’s primates to come down from the trees and adapt their movement to travel long distances in open fields in search of food. In this way, it was geography and not the continent that forced bipedalism. The debate. The new Bulgarian femur revives one of the hottest debates in paleontology, since until now, the title of the oldest bipedal hominin was held by Sahelanthropus tchadensisabout 7 million years old and found in Africa. But now, if this team’s dating and analysis are accurate, Graecopithecus would not only equal, but slightly surpass in seniority Sahelanthropusmoving the “kilometer zero” of bipedalism to the Balkans. But at the moment it is too early for the textbooks to change definitively, since, as with previous discoveries, the scientific community will demand more independent analyzes and will seek to debate every notch of the femur. What is undeniable is that the African monopoly on the origin of our lineage now has a serious European competitor. In Xataka | Humans are evolving live on the Tibetan plateau. And understanding what happens there will be essential in space

The US has been looking from space for years at a huge brown ribbon in the Atlantic that goes from Mexico to Africa that should not be there

by

The blue planet looks very different from space. We have internalized things like that the Chinese Wall is seen and it is not true: what is appreciated They are the greenhouses of Almería. Or a great old man desknown as the Great Dam of Zimbabwe. And for a few years now, NASA satellites they have been registering the presence of a brown stripe that extends across the Atlantic Ocean. It’s not a big brown island or a continent, but it looks like it. What is that “brown continent”. It is a mass of brown algae that, according to research from the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and Florida Atlantic University in whose last record It weighed 37.5 million tons and surpasses the 8,000 kilometers in length, more than from New York to Madrid. And it has a name: the Great Sargassum Belt. Context. He pelagic sargassum It is a seaweed that historically has always lived confined to the Sargasso Sea. However, since 2011 NASA has been documenting its expansion into the open sea until what it is now: a brown strip that by the end of 2024 left the Gulf of Mexico and spread until it reached the coasts of West Africa. This phenomenon is actually a huge accumulation of algae that reappears almost every year with one exception: 2013. The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt is bigger than ever: evolution documented by NASA Why is it important. Because this stratospheric mass of algae is not only spectacular from a visual point of view: it has repercussions on the marine ecosystem, destroys beaches and even contributes to accelerating climate change. It is also an ecological alarm signal for the Atlantic. According to Dr. Brian Lapointelead author of the review of changes in pelagic sargassum and professor at FAU Harbor Branch, explains that it even caused the emergency shutdown of a Florida nuclear power plant in 1991. Why are they growing like foam?. Lapointe and his team have been investigating the evolution since the 1980s and have found that the nitrogen content in brown algae has increased by 55% between 1980 and 2020; the nitrogen/phosphorus ratio also increased by 50%. This change has occurred because brown algae no longer only feed on natural nutrients from the ocean, but also receive nitrogen and phosphorus from land thanks to human activity, such as agricultural runoff or wastewater discharge. The result is uncontrolled growth. Sargassum is transported by ocean currents, especially in floods from the Amazon, towards the Atlantic. There it thrives thanks to that extra supply of nutrients. An unaesthetic and harmful stain. Brown algae per se are not harmful and in fact, they serve as habitat for different species. However, its enormous presence has altered the ecosystem. Upon reaching the coasts, they begin to decompose, thus releasing hydrogen sulfide, a toxic gas that damages coral reefs, reduces the oxygen present and emits greenhouse gases. What can we do. In short: stop feeding them. After this exhaustive monitoring, the research team warns that humans should reduce nutrient runoff from the coast since, if this continues, more Great Sargassum Belts could appear throughout the ocean. In Xataka | The brutal floods facing Portugal and western Spain, seen from space In Xataka | A 2.5 billion-year-old geological wonder: Zimbabwe’s Great Dam seen by NASA from space Cover | POT

Rome turned North Africa into its great oil fountain. And we have found the mega-oil mills of the Empire

by

He Roman empire He founded the foundations of Western civilization both socially and in the most functional part: the infrastructure. Its roads are famousbut wherever they passed, They also founded industry. And an international group of archaeologists has found one of the most significant discoveries related to the roman industry. The second largest oil pressing complex in the entire Empire. Mega-oil mill. In the Tunisian region of Kasserine is the archaeological site identified as ‘Henchir el Begar’. Specifically, there are two settlements found to the north and west of Kasserine (the ancient Roman Cillium), and archaeologists are clear that they are part of the same industry dedicated to oil. They estimate that both were operational between the 3rd and 6th centuries AD, demonstrating that they were incredibly valuable to the Empire, and the data reflects the productive ambition of the area: The settlement has 33 hectares with two main sectors: Hr Begar 1 and Hr Begar 2. Hr Begar 1 has twelve beam presses, being the largest mill in Tunisia and the second largest in the entire Roman world. We are talking about beams and counterweights capable of exerting tons of pressure. It has cisterns and a water collection basin. HR Begar 2 has another eight presses of the same type, as well as another water collection basin and cisterns. Context. In addition to the two “oil mills”, georadar has identified a network of settling tanks for oil, warehouses, a dense fabric of housing for workers and the site’s population, and road tracks for the ‘trucks’ of the erato, trains that transported the amphoraethey will reach the coast and places of distribution. Apart from making it clear that the site was an oil megafactory, they have also found stone mills. They estimate that production was mixed: oil and also cereals, which points to the strategic importance of this region around Kasserine. Strategic good. In it releasearchaeologists highlight that the territory is characterized by high steppes and a continental climate with modest rainfall that would have been collected in wells, all of this favoring ideal conditions for the cultivation of olive trees. This border area of ​​Africa would have been a point of exchange between cultures, but a discovery of these dimensions shows that this Proconsular province of Africa would have been the great supplier of oil to the Roman Empire both for consumption (the highest quality oil) and for fuel and other consumables (oil for lighting, bases for medical ointments and cosmetics). Perspectives. That powerful Henchir el Begar oil industry is not the only thing the team has found. They have also found pieces such as a bracelet decorated in copper or brass, a stone projectile and some architectural elements that had later been reused in a Byzantine wall. The mission in Kasserine began in 2023 as a project co-led by the Ca’Foscari University of Venice, the University of La Manouba in Tunisia and the Complutense University of Madrid and, according to Professor Luigi Sperti, one of the project coordinators, it allows “an unprecedented perspective on the agrarian and socioeconomic organization of the border regions of Roman Africa.” We will see what they find in future prospecting, but the investigations of this third campaign have borne fruit in understanding the importance of the region in issues such as the production, marketing and transportation of oil on a scale not seen until now in that area. Images | UCM, Unive In Xataka | Modern tunnel boring machines are real monsters compared to those of 1950. The paradox is that they are just as slow

A very deep polar trough is descending towards North Africa and Spain is right in the middle

by

Now Spain is busy with the rain and it is logical: it is not every day that a high-impact storm hits you and turns the country upside down. However, as they said from Navarmeteothe key question is what is going to happen from Tuesday. Let’s fasten our seatbelts, because curves are coming. An early winter. Both the European and American models coincide in a change in weather pattern next week. Towards Thursday, a very deep polar trough will descend from northern Europe towards the south. The interesting (and worrying) thing is that it is going to pass right over us. That is, in a week Spain will be immersed in a polar air mass maritime. But the thing is not limited to that: as a corridor opens that connects us to the north (between the western anticyclone and the storm in the Gulf of Genoa), shortly after the first ‘impact’ a second pulse of even colder continental polar air will arrive. What does this mean? Well, if everything happens as the models say, cold and humid air from the North Atlantic will enter first. That will cause temperatures to drop and rain and snow will return. Then, with the strengthening of the northerly flow, drier and colder air will arrive: a major thermal collapse. Are we sure about this? We have been seeing for days how the great models they were converging around a scenario like this: a huge tongue of cold approaching the peninsula. However, skepticism was more than justified. But things are starting to get real. It seems clear that it will be a cold week throughout the country (except the Canary Islands) and temperatures at altitude are beginning to reach up to 10 degrees below average. Everything will start in the Cantabrian Sea, but by Friday it will have reached the entire peninsula. Things are going to change. We come from the storm Claudia and, although the impact has been considerable, It has been a fairly tempered system. However, things are going to change: even if in the end the trough does not reach that far south, the cold is going to be felt in large areas of the country. And this is the beginning of a winter that, if all goes well, is expected very (but very) moved. Image | Tropical Tridbits In Xataka | It’s going to rain in Galicia. It seems normal but it is something more: the prelude to a total change in the weather in Spain

A one million years of years suggests that the ‘homo sapiens’ does not come from Africa

by

The history of human evolution is a fascinating puzzle that we lack many pieces. Each new fossil adds details, but occasionally, one of them does not fit the image we had. Or rather, It forces us to redraw the puzzle completely. This is what has just happened with the analysis of a skull of one million years old found in China, an investigation that, according to its authors, “totally changes” our understanding about when and how we arise, since I would question Our origin based in Africa. The study. Published In the prestigious Science magazinea team of scientists from China and the Museum of Natural History of the United Kingdom, a posture that the lineage of the Homo sapiens began to separate from their relatives, such as Neanderthalsat least half a million years before what was believed. And this is not a short time. The skull The protagonist of this story is the skull of Yunxian 2approximately one million years old, which was damaged. This caused that at first it was classified as the skull of a Homo erectus, One of our most primitive ancestors. But nothing is further from reality. Thanks to digital reconstruction technology, which included computerized and modeled tomographies, researchers were able to restore their original form. The analysis. Once the results were had, the surprises arrived. The skull did not belong to a Homo erectus, It showed a mixture of primitive and modern features. According to the study, Yunxian 2 is actually an early member of the clado Homo Longi, a sister species of Homo sapiens which also includes Mysterious denisovans. “Our research reveals that Yunxian 2 is not Homo erectusbut an early member of the clado Longi And it is linked to the Denisovanos, “said Professor Chris Stringer, co -director of the research.” This changes the thought a lot because he suggests that a million years ago, our ancestors had already been divided into different groups, which points to a much earlier and more complex human evolutionary division of what was believed, “he continued explaining. New temporal line. Until now, most genetic studies placed divergence between the lineage of the Homo sapiens and that of the Neanderthals about 600,000 years ago. However, this new analysis has changed everything and the dates remain as follows: Origin of the clado sapiens: It is now estimated at approximately 1.02 million years. Origin of the clado Longi: It is calculated in about 1.2 million years. Separation of both lineages: the study places the divergence between the lineage sapiens and the Longi 1.32 million years ago. This implies that three large groups of humans with large brains –Homo sapiens, Homo Longi (including denisovanos) and Neanderthals – could have coexist for almost a million years, much longer than was thought. Africa. Although the appearance of these fossils in the Asian continent can make us think that the origin of our ancestors is not in Africa as thought, we must have caution. Professor Stringer himself, one of the study authors, warns that there is not enough evidence to affirm that our species evolved in Asia instead of in Africa. The task that is now ahead is to select fossils with a similar age found in Africa and Europe and do the same study. That is why the scientific community is enthusiastic right now, but in a critical position. Dr. Aylwyn Scally, an evolutionary geneticist at the University of Cambridge, points out that both genetic and fossil -based analysis have significant uncertainties, especially when establishing such old chronologies. “More evidence is needed to be safe,” he says. What is clear is that Yunxian 2’s skull has opened a new and exciting window to our past, demonstrating that the history of human evolution is much deeper and more complex than we imagined. Images | Ranjit Pradhan In Xataka | “This is not a penguin.”

The man who crossed Africa from coast to coast for the first time in a 4×4

by

In 1884, The diverse African continent It was distributed among the European powers as if it were a cake. The Berlin Conference regulated the colonization of Africa and established which country stayed with each portion. Germany stayed with a good piece of the continent and, although it lost everything after the World War Ithere is something that no one can snatch them: having been the first to demonstrate the reliability of the first cars “4×4”. The feat? Simple: Crossing Africa from coast to coast on a trip of about 10,000 kilometers through unknown territories for the car. The adventure begins. The protagonist of this story is called Paul Graetz. He was a German officer who, between 1902 and 1904, served as a lieutenant in German Eastern Africa. After a brief return to his homeland, 1907 returned to Africa with a goal: to find a route between what was German and Africa Africa of the Southwest German (which is currently Tanzania and Namibia) to establish a motorized connection. A direct route between the two territories (each in a different coast) would allow a better economic development and, therefore, a benefit for those German regions. Thus, he got to work to devise a route that was from Dar-Es-Salam (Tanzania) to Swakopmund (Namibia). It would not be easy, since it would be necessary to cross mountains, deserts, jungles, savannas and rivers in an unexplored territory for the car. All this, obviously, without having roads or roads. Basically, he would make his way. The problem was, evidently, the car itself. The car. It was the first challenge of the trip because, if it would be something complicated for the best 4×4 current, for a great -grandfather of 1907, imagine. That is why he did not use a conventional car, but one made “custom”. Graetz began to contact several companies and-heard air-it was the Süddeutsche Automobil-Fabrik Gaggenau who accepted the challenge. They only existed from 1905 to 1910 and subsequently became part of Benz & Cie (which, in turn, became Daimler-Benz Agbetter known as Mercedes-Benz), and what they did was to modify one of their numerous models for the conditions it would find in Africa. Chassis made to measure with an elevation of 35 centimeters on the standard of the time to circulate through complicated territories. The elevation was achieved with wooden blocks. A four -cylinder engine and a power of 35 hp. Two gas tanks for long marches: one 250 liters in the rear and another forward with another 125/145 liters. “Mortital” and reinforced body to transport heavy loads. Wooden wheels, eye, with a diameter of 1,120 mm and a width of 120 mm. The wood for certain components may seem a barrabasada, but it was the technology of the time. It had a large storage capacity due to size, the interior could be transformed into a bedroom (with mosquito net and everything) and had oil lamps to drive in the dark. Issues. We cannot say that Süddeutsche Automobil-Fabrik Gaggenau did not give Gracez a good ‘car’, but the problems would soon appear. The expedition (basically, Graetz) departed on August 10, 1907. The tests for the car had been done in Germany, so both the driver and the vehicle would enter ‘Terra Incognita’. The rain was a problem and forced to improvise a metal reinforcement (the first wheels with chain), remained stuck in dunes, gasoline evaporated and even had to wear the car by boat during a section of Lake Tanganika. The worst was mechanics. The one of Graetz the only one in colonial Germany and a rare Avis in thousands of kilometers around the engine so, when the engine had a breakdown, he was forced to wait three months for the spare parts to arrive. In addition, there were no mechanics, so they learned on the march to repair it. It is believed that it has a C15 “Gut Gemacht, Graetz”As it may be, about 630 days later and With about 10,000 kilometers on the counterthe German explorer and his car managed to reach Swakopmund. It was on May 1, 1909 and Kaisewr Guillermo II himself congratulated him with a telegram that was not too effusive. “Gut Gemacht, Graetz”, which becomes a “good job, Graetz.” In that congratulation I should have included the hundreds of collaborators that the explorer had during his journey, but we already know how these things are going. History. The feat was followed by the press and was seen as an example of the industrial and power advances of the new engines and vehicles against nature. Currently, that first 4×4, that deeply modified vehicle that allowed an adventurer to cross Africa from coast to coast more than a century ago, is a piece of a museum and a reminder that, perhaps, was the first Road Trip of history. The bug of exploration was still within Graetz and only one year later, in 1911, he launched A second expedition with the aim of traveling the Bangweulusee river from Mozambique to the Atlantic in a motor boat of more than eight meters. On this occasion, he took a filmmaker with him that he captured some images, but after an attack of a buffalo, the filmmaker died and Graetz was seriously injured. The images were considered ‘Lost Media’ for almost a century, but in 2007 they were found in the basement of the Gracez’s own house, and part are the ones you can see just about this paragraph. It is clear that explorer is born, it is not done, and since everything has to be capitalized, There are tours to emulate the route of the German explorer. Images | Mercedes-Benz, Paul Graetz In Xatala | The US needed to confuse the Nazis in World War II. So it deployed airplanes and lie tanks

376 meters long and destination Africa

by

China has just delivered one of its most ambitious naval works: a floating 376 -meter gas plant ready to cross to Africa. The scene was lived in Nantonga port city of the province of Jiangsu, east of the country, which concentrates part of the Chinese naval industry. We talked about Nguya Flng, an installation designed for transform gas into LNG Without touching the mainland. As CGTN points outthe plan is to locate it in front of the Republic of the Congo after an oceanic trailer coordinated since its exit from the port. The record is in the figures: we are talking about the largest floating gas installation ever manufactured in the Asian country. Its structure integrates industrial systems for liquefy gas directly on the high seas, store it and transfer it to metaneous ships. This type of platforms allows you to take advantage of deposits without building terminals on land, accelerating export. According to Rystad Energy, the FLNG (Floating Liquefied Natural Gas) are gaining traction and their global capacity will triple around 2030. In that context, the development of Nguya Flng places China in the league of the large floating projects, so far led by initiatives such as Prelude Flng of Shell or the PFLNG of Petronas. The Chinese floating plants bet enters the world’s first division As we anticipated above, the floating plant measures 376 meters in length, 60 of manga and 35 of strut. It houses cryogenic tanks for 180,000 cubic meters of liquefied natural gas and 45,000 liquefied oil gas. Its annual production capacity is 2.4 million tons of GnL. The plant is equipped with processing, storage and loading systems that allow its continuous operation in an open sea. Among its characteristics are units of electricity generation, cooling compressors and a cover designed to facilitate the safe gas transfer to other ships. Nguya Flng’s departure from Nantong’s shipyards required a detail planned operation. The local maritime administration carried out security evaluations and adjusted the towing plan to adapt to the tides. To displace the structure, 14 tugs and patrols were used, next to drones to supervise the process. The convoy reached 740 meters in length, establishing a record in coastal trailer in the area. The maneuver marked the beginning of its transfer to Africa and evidenced the logistics complexity of moving an installation of this size. Nguya Flng’s trip is not a simple navigation: requires an oceanic trailer of thousands of kilometers. Pacc Offshore Services Holdings (POSH), a company based in Singapore, was hired to coordinate the operation. The route will take the unit to the water of the Congo, where it will be installed about 50 kilometers from Pointe-Noirein an area of 33 to 35 meters deep. Once anchored, it will connect to the wells of the Marine XII block through underwater systems of the project. The forecasts place their entry into service in the second phase of Congo LNG, with a horizon at the end of 2025 if the deadlines are maintained. The Marine Block XII, in Aguas del Congo, is the nucleus of the Congo LNG plan led by ENIItalian energy multinational based in Rome and wide presence in Africa. The strategy combines two floating units: Tango Flng, in operation since 2023, and Nguya Flng, which will multiply the installed capacity. Together can process about 3 million tons of liquefied gas per year. For the African country, it is an opportunity to take advantage of significant reserves without large terrestrial infrastructure. For ENI, it reinforces its role as an actor in central Africa and diversifies its LNG export portfolio to Europe and Asia. For Europe, the deployment of new LNG capabilities in Africa is a strategic movement. Congo LNG aspires to become in a Stable supplier for European markets They seek to reduce the dependence of Russian gas. The commitment to floating plants accelerates terms, although it also raises logistics and financial challenges that the sector is closely followed. Nguya Flng’s trip does not end with his arrival to the Congo. Its installation on the high seas, the connection to the underwater system and the first gas load will be determining tests for this project. ENI and its partners see the unit as a centerpiece to expand the African production of LNG in a moment of energy transition. Experience will show to what floating plants can accelerate the global supply and if China is consolidated as a competitive supplier in this niche. All eyes will be put in their performance in the coming months. Images | ENI In Xataka | A very rare element of the periodic table is unleashing a new geopolitical battle with China: Germanio

Latin America and Africa are a juicy caramel for car manufacturers. And the Chinese industry is already moving file

by

The Chinese automotive industry has launched to the ambitious adventure to conquer the world. Yes last year We were talking about tariffs And both the United States and Europe looking for trying stop the expansion of the Chinese electric carnow we talk about huge ships from the main companies bringing their cars. But China Not only is your eye on Europe. It is already moving towards Africa and Latin America. Restrictions. Apart from bringing their cars to our borders, Chinese companies are moving forms for expand your dealer network in Europeas well as They operate their own factories. To ‘skip’ tariffs and restrictions, instead of manufacturing cars in the usual way, they do so by removal kits and put. But it is evident that these tariffs imposed on the electric car have been the trigger for the export to the West to cover other territories. In fact, brands such as ByD came to rethink their international strategy in some markets, and those alternative destinations outside the traditional axis are those that have lower commercial protection and greater growth potential. Africa (the north, especially) and some Latin American countries stand out for their lower customs obstacles and local policies that encourage the industry.

Casio knows that his calculators have the lost battle in the West. So you have designed a B: Africa

by

In a world dominated by smartphones, where any mobile has a calculator application, it might seem that the days of pocket calculators are counted. However, Casio, the Japanese giant who has been in the business for almost 60 years, has a plan to stay as a relevant company: carry its scientific calculators to the classrooms of developing countries. In search of the ideal countries to continue expanding. Since its first scientific calculator in 1972 was launched, Casio has achieved great achievements such as a reference in the Spanish Meracdo. But now he focuses on eight countries in Asia and Africa, among which are Egypt, Thailand, Indonesia, Bangladés and the Philippines. The calculator as an infallible ‘antitrampas’ system. The program baptized as ‘Gakuhan’ is not limited to selling calculators only. Casio seeks to promote teaching methods that integrate these devices, pressing so that schools use them in classes and allow their use in exams. The reason is simple: the calculators They have a much less copy risk than smartphoneslacking Internet connection functions. In the case of Spain this is something that we see in the selectivity, for example, where one of the requirements is obviously not having any electronic device on top and Nor any calculator that can transmit information. Although always when you get to Baccalaureate, it is raised The question of which is the best calculator to study. And this is precisely what they sell to the professors of Asia and Africa with a sales manager who has become the official ambassador of this program. The objective of its task is clear: create educational material where the calculator is essential to develop the activity and offer competencies to students. A market in decline, but with a resilient niche. Despite the presence of smartphones, Casio has managed to maintain a stable business with calculators. Although the sales of this device have fallen two thirds from its peak in the last 20 years, the company sold more scientific calculators than basic last year. In fact, it has expanded its range of scientific calculators to 73 models, 40% more than seven years ago, to adapt to the subtle differences of each country. European countries have their ‘antitrampra’ versions. For example, in Germany and France Comas are used instead of points for decimals and the graphic calculators of the United Kingdom They have an “exam mode” that deactivates the functions not allowed. Although the educational technology business of Casio is not as large as that of watches, which generates 60% of total salesit does provide a constant income flow. The company expects Sell 23 million scientific calculators in 202510% more than the previous year. Other products have not had the same fate as calculators. Mobile phones have caused the disappearance of many products or even icons that we had normalized in our society, such as public phones, Pocket cameras or the music players like the walkman either The iPod. In this case they have failed to reinvent themselves to continue advancing with the new advances of society. Others, such as instantaneous cameras, They still have their niche Within lovers of Vintage, Like what happens with vinyl. But in this case the calculators in mobiles, tablets or computers do not seem to end the products dedicated to it. In institutes it remains a practically mandatory product and on which we depend on not making the calculations with a pen and paper such as a simple division. Images | Robert Schneider Aaron Lefler Doug Linstedt In Xataka | Better scientific calculators: which to buy for the institute and the university and eight recommended models from 10 euros

Morocco has started one of the most ambitious projects in the history of Africa

by

Morocco has begun to build its stretch of the Nigeria-Charuecos gas pipeline (NMGP), a megaproject of 25,000 million dollars that stands out not only for its scale, but for its geopolitical implications. The energy map of Africa and its connections with Europe will change. A 6,000 km corridor. Moroccan Energy Transition Minister Leila Benali, announced the start of the works. The stretch of Morocco will cost about 6,000 million dollars, and will serve as the future dorsal spine of the Kingdom Gasist Network. This initial segment will connect the port of Nador, on the Mediterranean coast, with the city of Dajla, to the south of the country. The entire Transaphrican gas pipeline will be extended through the Atlantic coast to connect Nigeria’s vast gas reserves with Morocco. From there, it will be exported to the European market, confirming Rabat as a first level energy hub. A pharaonic project. The infrastructure is designed to transport up to 30,000 million cubic meters of natural gas per year and guarantee the supply of 13 African countries. The gas pipeline will leave from Nigeria, crossing the coasts of Benin, Togo, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Guinea-Bisáu, Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania and Morocco. In addition to promoting industrial development and access to the energy of 400 million people, NMGP foresees Extend the supply to the European Gasist Network Already African countries without coast: Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali. Engineering studies They ended in 2024the environmental and social impact analysis of the southern section are missing. And the Algeria gas pipeline? The project directly rivals the Transaharan gas pipeline (TSGP), The initiative backed by Algeria to bring the same Nigerian gas to Europe through Niger. However, political instability in Sahel, especially after the coup d’etat in Niger, has put the viability of the Algerian corridor in serious trouble, granting a strategic advantage to the Atlantic route of Morocco. Where 25,000 million will come from. For Nigeria, the gas pipeline is the cornerstone of its “Gas Decade” initiativea strategy to monetize national reserves of six billion cubic meters of natural gas. For Morocco, the project is the spearhead of its “Atlantic Initiative”, which seeks to turn the country into a strategic corridor between Europe, Africa and the Atlantic. Ensuring 25,000 million dollars is the main obstacle. The project will make a final decision on the investment at the end of 2025 that will be the fire test, although it has already aroused the interest of entities such as the Islamic Development Bank and the European Investment Bank. How to protect thousands of kilometers of pipes that will cross 13 nations, some with unstable political environments and doubtful security, will be one of the great discussion points. The fact that investing in fossil fuel infrastructure In full green transition it is the elephant in the room. Image | NNPC In Xataka | The US has had an idea to feed its AI: build its data centers next to natural gas deposits

Log In

Forgot password?

Forgot password?

Enter your account data and we will send you a link to reset your password.

Your password reset link appears to be invalid or expired.

Log in

Privacy Policy

Add to Collection

No Collections

Here you'll find all collections you've created before.