Algeria Reclaims Top Spot as Spain’s Natural Gas Supplier, Overtaking US

According to the latest data from Enagás, Algeria supplied 8,931 gigawatt hours (GWh) of natural gas (7,962 GWh via the Medgaz and 969 GWh by methane carriers) to Spain in September, or 25.4% of total imports. The country thus regains its position as Spain’s top supplier, held since January by the United States, which supplied 6,012 GWh of gas in September, or 17.1% of the total. However, the Americans remain Spain’s top natural gas supplier in 2022, with a record figure of 102,694 GWh, or 30.5% of total imports.

Algeria was Spain’s main natural gas supplier until it unilaterally decided to close the Maghreb-Europe (GME) gas pipeline crossing Morocco in October 2021 due to tensions with Rabat. And this year, Spain’s change of position on the Sahara has opened a diplomatic crisis between Spain and Algeria, leading the country to reduce its gas supplies and threaten Spain with a review of gas sale prices.

Spain has diversified its gas supply sources. In addition to Algeria and the United States, it received 48,705 GWh of gas from Nigeria (14.5% of the total) and 38,125 GWh from Russia (11.3%) over the past nine months. In September, Spain imported nearly 70% (24,511 GWh) of liquefied natural gas (LNG) compared to 48.9% (17,630 GWh) in the same period last year, an increase of 39%.