Morocco overtakes France as top buyer of Spanish gas

Morocco has overtaken France as the primary recipient of Spanish-re-exported gas, leveraging the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline to its full potential, says El Periodico.

This pipeline, which connects the two countries, has been operating at nearly 90% capacity in recent months, facilitating a surge in Moroccan imports. 

While France traditionally dominates Spain’s gas re-export market, accounting for roughly 33%, Morocco captured a remarkable 40% of all re-exports during the crucial period of August to November last year.

This surge in Moroccan imports is attributed to its efficient using of the existing infrastructure. The Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline, boasting a maximum capacity of 960 gigawatts per month, has been consistently operating at near-peak levels, allowing a steady increase in gas flow to Morocco.

The re-export doesn’t involve Spain directly selling its own gas to Morocco. Instead, Morocco purchases liquefied natural gas (LNG) on the global market. These LNG shipments are then received at Spanish terminals, where they are re-gasified – converted back into their gaseous state. 

This re-gasified gas is subsequently transported to Morocco via the existing pipeline. This approach is necessary as Morocco currently lacks the infrastructure to directly receive and process LNG shipments.

Spain has been re-exporting natural gas to Morocco through the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline (GME) since June 2022. 

The pipeline, originally designed to transport Algerian gas to Spain via Morocco, was repurposed for reverse flow after Algeria halted gas exports through Morocco in October 2021 due to diplomatic tensions. 

The volume of gas Spain exports to Morocco has seen a significant increase. In June 2024, Morocco accounted for 18.5% of Spain’s total gas exports, a substantial rise from just 0.1% in June 2022. 

Over the past year, Spain has delivered approximately 9,338 gigawatt-hours of natural gas to Morocco via the GME pipeline, marking a 155-fold increase compared to the previous year. 

This development has been vital for Morocco’s energy security, especially after Algeria’s decision to halt gas exports through the GME pipeline in October 2021. 

The re-export arrangement with Spain has enabled Morocco to secure necessary energy supplies amid regional diplomatic challenges. 

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