Spain Faces Algerian Gas Threat Over Morocco Partnership

Since Spain changed its position on the Sahara to normalize its relations with Morocco, it has been subjected to threats from Algeria, one of its main gas suppliers, which has already warned that it would not hesitate to break its gas contract if the Spanish government were to cede part of the Algerian gas to Morocco.

The Spanish Minister of Ecological Transition, Teresa Ribera, has reassured Algeria that "not a single molecule of its gas will reach Morocco", insisting that Spain’s role is limited to transforming the liquefied natural gas (LNG) purchased by Morocco on the international market in its regasification plants and transporting it to the kingdom via the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline in the opposite direction, taking care to verify the volume, origin and destination of the gas.

To read: Algeria Warns Spain: Gas Contracts at Risk if Morocco Receives Algerian Supply

But Spain cannot prove that the gas transported to Morocco is not Algerian, explain sources in the sector to El Independiete, stressing that "the version of the Spanish government is difficult to accept and Algeria is aware of it". According to the same sources, Algiers could harden its tone and threaten again to turn off the gas tap to Spain.

The crisis with Spain has led Algeria to strengthen its energy partnership with Italy at the expense of Spain to serve Europe. For its part, Spain has reduced its dependence on Algeria in recent months, making the United States its main gas supplier with 32.9% of total Spanish imports, compared to 23.2% for Algeria.