Morocco to Reverse Gas Flow from Spain via Maghreb-Europe Pipeline

Morocco will procure liquefied natural gas (LNG) on the international market, transform it in the regasification plants made available to it by Spain, and then transport it to the kingdom via the GME in the opposite direction, the minister said. This announcement comes after the resumption of diplomatic relations between Morocco and Spain, which has changed its position on the Sahara, consecrated by the visit of Pedro Sanchez to Rabat on April 7 and his meeting with King Mohammed VI, reports La Razón.

"For the first time, Morocco is on the international gas market. [...] Morocco had never bought LNG," stressed Leila Benali, adding that the kingdom has already received a dozen medium-term contract proposals and that the results of the tender will be known in the coming days. According to the minister, these new gas supply contracts will help relaunch the Tahaddart (in the northern region of Tangier) and Ain Beni Mathar (in the east) power plants, which produce nearly 10% of the country’s electricity consumption.

These two plants were supplied with Algerian gas until the end of October, when the GME was closed due to the diplomatic crisis between Rabat and Algiers. To guarantee its energy sovereignty, Morocco plans to set up its own regasification plants, floating at sea or stable on land, the minister announced, arguing that the closure of the GME is "an opportunity" to lay the foundations for a new gas development policy in Morocco.

Leila Benali insisted that Morocco will not source gas from the Spanish market or the European market. Spain will only make its infrastructure (Spanish part of the GME, regasification units) available to Morocco to transport the gas to the kingdom by reversing the GME flows. The minister specified that short-term contracts will be signed and that the first deliveries are expected in the coming days.