WHY MOROCCO WANT TO CUT ENERGY DEPENDENCE FROM SPAIN

Morocco government is making plans to cut ties with Spain over its energy dependence. This move has seen the nation unveil ambitious plans regasification plants and pipelines.

According to reports, the decision was made after Algeria close the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline in October 2021, these has made Morocco to act swiftly aimed energy shortage in the near future.

Morocco initially relied on Spain’s assistance way back in 2022 to help mitigate the crisis as the Maghreb-Europe pipeline was reversed to pump gas from north to south, with Morocco purchasing Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) on the international market and transporting it to Spanish regasification plants. But reports emerged that Morocco Ministry of Energy ensured that the gas was not of Algerian Origin to satisfy Algerian demand.

MOROCCO ENERGY STRATEGY

The plans is simple, become a major bidirectional energy corridor between Africa, Europe, and the Atlantic basin, emulating Turkey’s role. This plans is aimed at the nation having its own energy infrastructure as deals has been signed in March to ensure this is visible. This deals saw five Moroccan ministries signed the Sustainable Gas Infrastructure Development Program, which envisions the construction of three LNG regasification plants, storage tanks, and pipelines.

According to reports, the first regasification plant will be built in Nador West Med, west of the Spanish enclave of Melilla, where a second Mediterranean port is already under construction. A newly built pipeline will connect Nador West to the Maghreb-Europe pipeline. The second plant will be a floating storage and regasification unit installed in Mohammedia, north of Casablanca, while the third is planned for Dakhla in southern Morocco.

The country is seriously investing heavily in renewable energy, with the goal of generating 52% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030 while plans to have 6,000-kilometer, largely submarine gas pipeline that would transport Nigerian gas to Morocco and Spain, traversing the waters of 13 countries is also been considered

POTENTIAL PARTNERSHIP DILEMMA 

The new energy independence plans by Morocco to strengthen its position as regional energy hub will certainly come at a prize as Spain Capital Madrid faces the challenge of balancing its diplomatic relations with Rabat while addressing domestic concerns over human rights, Western Sahara, and the fulfillment of the agreed-upon partnership.

SOURCE: MoroccoWorldNews