Amid crisis with Spain, Morocco depends on it for 8 % of its electricity

Under the Strait of Gibraltar, two interconnections directly link the Moroccan and Spanish electricity grids. The first has been operating since 1997 and the second since 2006, bringing their combined capacity to 1400 megawatts.

According to official data compiled by EFE, Spain sent approximately 3.9 terawatt-hours of electricity to Morocco in 2025. This volume represents 8 % of an estimated national demand of 49 TWh.

The balance of scheduled exchanges reached 3743 gigawatt-hours in Spain’s favor, its highest level since 2017. It was also the fourth consecutive year in which more electricity flowed from the Iberian Peninsula to Morocco than in the opposite direction.

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The trend is continuing in 2026. Between January and July, physical exchanges recorded by Red Eléctrica already showed a Spanish export balance of 2600 GWh to the Kingdom.

This situation contrasts with that of 2019, when Morocco became a net exporter of electricity to Spain after new generation capacity came online. The closure of the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline in 2021 and the halt of electricity exchanges with Algeria subsequently increased the importance of the Spanish link.

Spain also supplies 23 % of imported petroleum products

The dependence is not limited to electricity. In 2025, Morocco bought more than three million tonnes of petroleum products from Spain, representing approximately 23 % of all its imports in this category.

Diesel occupies a central place in these exchanges: 21.5 % of the diesel imported by Morocco came from Spanish refineries. Deliveries nevertheless fell by 22.4 % in one year, notably as a result of the increase in Russian fuel offered at more competitive prices.

Petroleum products still accounted for 51 % of Morocco’s energy mix in 2025. Despite the rapid development of renewable energies, the Kingdom therefore remains exposed to external supplies, both for its fuels and for the balance of its electricity grid.

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Madrid and Rabat are simultaneously working on a third electricity interconnection intended to increase exchange capacity between the two shores. But current figures already show that, beyond political, migratory and territorial tensions, a prolonged rupture with Spain would have a direct energy consequence for Morocco.