Shifts in Gas Supply Dynamics Between Spain and Morocco
In recent years, Morocco has emerged as a prominent destination for natural gas exports from Spain, especially following a critical energy crisis. The Spanish government took significant steps to assist Morocco by reopening the underwater gas pipeline that traverses the Strait of Gibraltar in June 2022. This reopening came after Algeria had unilaterally closed the pipeline months earlier, altering the historical flow direction of gas supply. Instead of transporting gas to Spain, the pipeline now facilitates the export of natural gas from Spain to Morocco, marking a pivotal shift in energy trade relations.
Since this change, gas shipments to Morocco have experienced a steady increase, consistently breaking records year after year. However, this upward trend has recently faced a downturn. Over the past three months, Morocco's gas purchases from Spain have shown a notable decline, with the volumes falling to their lowest levels in nearly four years, particularly since the reopening of the pipeline in October 2022.
As of this year, Morocco has imported a total of 2,319 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of natural gas from Spain, reflecting a staggering decrease of over 24% compared to the same period last year, according to data from Enagás, the operator of the Spanish gas system. The decline has been particularly pronounced in recent months, with import drops of 54% in April, nearly 40% in March, and 18% in February.
Impact of Political Relations on Gas Trade
Since the reversal of the gas pipeline flow from the Maghreb-Europe route, the volume of gas sent to Morocco had been on a steady rise. In 2023, the first full year of this new arrangement, total shipments reached 9,471 GWh, with a subsequent 2.8% increase to 9,703 GWh in 2024, culminating in a record of 10,375 GWh last year—a remarkable annual increase of 7%.
The reactivation of the gas pipeline was a strategic gesture by Pedro Sánchez's administration towards Morocco during a time of diplomatic efforts to mend relations that had been strained for years. This assistance was vital for Morocco to receive natural gas following Algeria's decision to halt supplies through the pipeline. Morocco has maximized its use of this favor from Spain, often operating at over 90% of the pipeline's total capacity, which can handle up to 11,500 GWh annually.
It is important to clarify that Spain is not directly selling gas to Morocco. Instead, Spain's role involves receiving liquefied natural gas (LNG) shipments from various suppliers, predominantly the United States, at its regasification plants. This gas is then transported through the Tarifa pipeline to Morocco. Each shipment is accompanied by certification and monitoring to ensure that no gas molecules from Algeria are included, adhering to the requirements set by the Algerian government.
The Spanish government's 2022 gesture towards Morocco has further strained diplomatic relations with Algeria, the traditional primary gas supplier to Spain. The tensions escalated following Spain's shift in its longstanding position on Western Sahara, now supporting Morocco's autonomy plan—an approach that Algeria vehemently opposes. In response, Algeria blocked commercial relations with Spain for over two years, although it exempted gas sales from this boycott and threatened to terminate supply contracts with Spanish companies if any gas was found to be resold to Morocco, with which it has also severed diplomatic ties over the Western Sahara issue.
As of 2025, Morocco has become the second-largest destination for gas reexports from Spain, accounting for nearly 26% of total reexports, trailing only France, which combined pipeline and LNG purchases made up approximately 35% of Spain's gas exports.
As reported by elperiodico.com.
