In the last two years, Morocco has become one of the principal customers of Spain’s regasification plants due to the reverse flow of the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline (GME) that commenced on June 28, 2022, Spanish outlet Activos reported on Sunday.
Since the beginning of this year, 16.5% of all of Spain’s natural gas re-exports have been to Morocco, a considerable increase from 12.5% in 2023.
Morocco shattered the record in January, becoming the leading buyer of gas processed in Spain, accounting for 28% of total re-exports in just that month.
According to the Spanish government’s response to a written query from People’s Party members of parliament, the regasification of Moroccan gas imports nets Spain an estimated two million Euros each year.
The Spanish government clarified that this amount excludes expenses for ship unloading, LNG storage and line losses.
Morocco intends to rely on Spanish-registered gas for several years. On May 31st, Morocco issued a tender for the construction of a floating liquified natural gas (LNG) transfer terminal to be constructed at the potential new Nador West Med port.
These developments are the fallout of Algiers’ unilateral decision in November 2021 not to renew Europe’s gas supply contract via the GME pipeline that passes through Morocco. Algeria had already severed diplomatic relations with Morocco at the end of August 2021 and had closed its airspace to Moroccan planes in September 2021, prior to its non-renewal of the contract under which Algeria supplied Spain and Portugal with gas through the pipeline.