EU Considers Carbon Tax on Moroccan Electricity as Spain Halts Imports

The quality of the efforts made by the Moroccan thermal power plants in Safi and Jerada suggests that the EU is considering anti-dumping measures prior to any import by one of its member countries of electricity from Morocco. In this case, taxes!

Jeune Afrique writes: "Spain cut short its imports of Moroccan electricity on April 3, just after the magazine El Periódico de la Energía publicized the new subject of reflection of the European Commission. It is considering an anti-dumping measure, which could materialize in a taxation of electricity imported from countries outside the European Union (EU), particularly from Morocco, where environmental standards are not the same as within the EU."

Moroccan electricity production would, according to the figures given, produce 3.5 times more CO2 than that usually produced in Spain. So the cost is lower. Especially since Moroccan electricity is not subject (in Moroccan territory) to any carbon emission tax ("in force on European electricity," says Jeune Afrique). So more taxes for those who are "deprived" of it in order to rebalance things.

Jeune Afrique, among others, points the finger at Spain: "It seems that Spain was taking advantage of the more polluting Moroccan electricity production to supply its networks, while it is engaged in a ’decarbonization’ plan on its territory and plans to close the majority of its coal-fired power plants by 2025."

A resolution with double standards seems to be the philosophy of this criticism.

It should be noted that until July 2018 it was Morocco that imported its electricity from Spain (thanks to two submarine interconnection cables) and that the situation changed in November 2018 when Morocco commissioned two new coal-fired power plants, in Safi and Jerada, and that Spain began to gradually "retire" its thermal power generation plants. Morocco has become an exporter, Spain an importer.

But we are not talking about the same quantities... Morocco had imported 5,690 GWh in 2017, and 3,515 GWh in 2018 (imports ceased well before the end of the year). On the other hand, according to Jeune Afrique: "since November 2018, the Iberian peninsula has imported 443 GWh of electricity from Morocco, compared to 154 GWh for the year 2018 and only 3 GWh in 2017." Taxes in sight anyway!