In August 2026, Morocco experienced a significant decline in its gas imports, dropping by 20.2% compared to both the previous month and the same period last year. This reduction comes in the wake of the recent recovery from the ramifications of the U.S.-Israeli war affecting Iran. Recent data obtained from the specialized energy platform based in Washington reveals that Morocco's gas imports totaled approximately 791 gigawatt-hours (GWh) last month, a stark decrease from 991 GWh in July 2026.

Annual Trends and Supply Sources

When examining the year-on-year figures, Morocco's gas imports have also seen a similar reduction, receiving about 992 GWh in August 2025. The Moroccan Ministry of Energy has not disclosed the specific sources of its gas supplies, only noting that liquefied natural gas (LNG) is imported from international sources. According to information from the specialized energy platform, Morocco sources LNG from a variety of suppliers, primarily including Russia and the United States, alongside shipments provided by Shell under a contract established in 2023.

The process involves regasifying the LNG in Spain before it is pumped through the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline, which was previously utilized for transporting Algerian gas to Europe. Over the first eight months of 2026, Morocco's gas imports decreased by 14.2% year-on-year, primarily influenced by disruptions in energy supply due to the outbreak of the Iranian war in February 2026, which led to significant shipping delays.

Sources informed the specialized energy platform that the decline in imports during August was attributed to rising LNG prices resulting from a global supply shortage, which hindered Morocco's ability to procure shipments at feasible prices. From January to August 2026, Moroccan imports accounted for approximately 6.73 terawatt-hours (TWh), contrasting with 5.77 TWh during the same period in the previous year.

Notably, gas supplies hit their lowest point in April 2026, while July emerged as the month with the highest imports recorded. The following statistics outline Morocco's gas imports over the first eight months of 2026: January (822 GWh), February (572 GWh), March (583 GWh), April (377 GWh), May (778 GWh), June (859 GWh), July (991 GWh), and August (791 GWh).

Impact of Global Crises on Costs

It is essential to note that Morocco's gas imports encountered interruptions in March and April 2026, before witnessing a remarkable surge of 106.4% in May 2026, as reported by the Spanish Strategic Reserves Agency for Oil Products (CORES). In August 2026, Morocco's gas imports began to decline around mid-month, straying from the usual daily average of 29 to 31 GWh. The average daily flows decreased to about 21 GWh starting from August 18, eventually hitting their lowest level of 15 GWh on August 27 and 28.

Furthermore, the ongoing crisis in the Strait of Hormuz has escalated costs for oil and gas importers across Africa, including Morocco, with the U.S.-Israeli conflict impacting supplies since late February 2026. A recent report highlighted that 32 African countries faced significant increases in their fuel import costs, totaling $21.9 billion from March to August 2026. Morocco ranks third among the most affected African importers, incurring an additional cost of $2.2 billion during the same timeframe, primarily due to diesel market fluctuations.

As reported by attaqa.net.