Construction German company to assess proposed Spain-Morocco tunnel By Matt Smith January 22, 2025, 4:43 PM Herrenknecht Spain has hired Herrenknecht Iberica, a subsidiary of the German company that worked on the Silvertown tunnel in London, scheduled to open in April Feasibility study ordered Spain hires Herrenknecht Iberica Route from Cadiz to Tangiers A German-owned company has been awarded a contract to conduct a feasibility study on building an undersea railway tunnel between Morocco and Spain, the latest indication that the long-stalled plan could become reality. If built, the tunnel would be one of the longest of its kind worldwide and would make transporting goods and people between Africa and the European Union faster and cheaper. Morocco and Spain have been mulling over how to create a fixed connection between the two countries – either a tunnel or a bridge – since at least 1980, but the cost and complexities involved have thwarted their ambitions. Now, though, the duo, with EU support, seem determined to revive the plan. Secegsa, a Spanish-state owned company created in 1981 to promote the tunnel, has hired Herrenknecht Iberica, a subsidiary of Germany’s Herrenknecht, to complete a feasibility study on the tunnel, a spokeswoman for the parent business told AGBI. Geopolitical tensions and low rain may stifle Morocco’s GDP growth UAE joins $1bn subsea power connectivity initiative The changing face of Morocco-Spain relations At its narrowest point the distance between Morocco and Spain across the Strait of Gibraltar is just 13km, although geological and topographical factors mean Secegsa has proposed a longer route. In 1996 it ruled out building a bridge. The Ruta de Umbral would feature a 38.5km-long tunnel, of which 28km would be under the sea at depths of 175m to 475m below sea level. In Morocco it would surface close to the port city of Tangiers, while its Spanish terminal would be in the south in the province of Cadiz, in a sparsely populated area. For comparison, the Channel Tunnel connecting France and the United Kingdom is 50km long, of which 38km is under the English Channel. That makes it the world’s longest undersea tunnel, while its deepest section is 75m below sea level – far shallower than the proposed tunnel between Spain and Morocco. “The Strait of Gibraltar is a bottleneck for traffic between North Africa and Europe – a tunnel would significantly increase the efficiency of freight and passenger transport,” says the Herrenknecht spokeswoman. “At the same time, this construction project poses extreme challenges in terms of technology and logistics,” she said. “The feasibility study that has now been commissioned relates precisely to this: can these challenges be overcome and what solutions would be necessary?”. According to Secegsa, the Spain-Morocco tunnel would be like the Channel Tunnel. There would be two parallel single-track tunnels upon which high-speed passenger and freight trains would run in opposite directions. Trucks and cars could board the trains.