Morocco and Portugal have reached an agreement to revive the electricity interconnection project between the two countries, which has been on hold since 2022. This initiative is part of their strategy to seek support from the European Union to help finance this crucial project.
In this context, the Moroccan Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, emphasized during her discussions with Portugal's Minister of Environment and Energy, Maria da Graça Carvalho, in Lisbon on Monday, that both nations are committed to ensuring lower costs and providing energy at affordable prices for their populations and various economic sectors. Benali stated that their shared goal is to reduce expenses and improve energy affordability, thus benefiting the interests of citizens and numerous economic sectors in both countries.
Furthermore, the two countries have agreed to work in parallel to mobilize European funding while exploring opportunities for private sector contributions to the electricity interconnection project, which is expected to bolster energy security and cooperation between Europe and Africa. Carvalho indicated that Lisbon and Rabat would request the European Commission to assess the potential classification of the interconnection project as a significant European project of mutual interest, which would allow it access to European funding mechanisms.
The two sides plan to present this project to the European Commission's Vice President for a Clean, Fair, and Competitive Transition, Teresa Ribera, to evaluate the European Union's interest in prioritizing it among their key projects. Carvalho highlighted that establishing a new electricity link between Europe and Africa could significantly enhance energy security and strengthen cooperation between the two continents.
In the initial phase, the two countries will begin consultations with the European Commission to gauge its willingness to support the project as a strategic European initiative. Concurrently, Morocco and Portugal will follow two parallel pathways: the first involves seeking to benefit from the European funding mechanism known as 'Connecting Europe,' while the second focuses on assessing private sector investors' interest in participating in the project through a call for expressions of interest targeting electricity network operators and utility companies.
Carvalho stressed that the ultimate objective is to execute the project at the lowest possible cost, avoiding any additional financial burdens on taxpayers or energy consumers. She noted that it is still too early to finalize the technical option for the electricity connection, whether through a direct underwater cable between Portugal and Morocco or by utilizing existing infrastructure in Spain that is already linked to Morocco's electricity network.
This renewed interest in the interconnection project, initially proposed in 2018, comes in light of the widespread power outages experienced in Spain and Portugal in April 2025, which showcased the limitations of the Iberian Peninsula's electricity connection with the rest of Europe. Currently, the electricity interconnection rate of the Iberian Peninsula with European networks stands at only 3%, a figure significantly below the European Union's objective of reaching 15% by 2030.
Both parties view the Morocco-Portugal electricity interconnection project as a means to enhance energy supply security for Portugal, which is currently linked by a single electricity network to Spain, by providing an additional energy source in emergency situations or supply interruptions.
This meeting, attended by Morocco's ambassador in Lisbon, Othmane Aba Hnini, served as an opportunity to discuss ways to strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries in the energy sector and contemplate financing mechanisms for the bilateral electricity interconnection project through mobilizing European support and attracting private sector investments.
As reported by alyaoum24.com.
