Spain Shifts Gas Imports: US Overtakes Algeria as Top Supplier

Algeria is losing its position as Spain’s main gas supplier, which it had held until the end of last year. A position now occupied by the United States, whose gas exports to the Iberian peninsula have, for the second consecutive month, exceeded those of its eastern neighbor. According to Enagas data, Spain bought 12,472 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of natural gas from the United States in February, compared to 8,801 from Algeria. The weight of natural gas of American origin thus represented 32.9% of Spain’s total imports. With 23.2% of Spain’s total imports, Algeria is in second place.

Regarding imports, all the gas from the United States was delivered to Spain by methane carriers in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG). As for the entirety of the gas from Algeria, it arrived via the Medgaz pipeline, which has been experiencing recurring operating flaws.

After Algeria’s closure of the Maghreb-Europe pipeline (GME), the eastern neighbor is struggling to transport its gas via the replacement solutions it has proposed. According to the Spanish authorities, this closure has led to recurring disruptions in the supply chain. The closure of the GME has also resulted in heavy financial losses for Algeria, says the Russian federal news agency FAN.