Rabat – Algeria has reiterated its rejection of Spain’s request to reopen the Maghreb gas pipeline, which Algiers closed in 2021.
The gas pipeline was a key route in carrying Algerian gas through Morocco to Tarifa.
According to Spanish news outlet Okdiario, Spain and other European countries have requested the reopening of the gas pipeline to diversify Europe’s supply sources.
However, Algeria’s regime rejected Spain’s requests, describing them as “useless attempts.”
The Algerian regime closed the Maghreb gas pipeline in response to Spain’s decision in 2021 to endorse Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as the most serious and credible political solution.
The measure was part of a series of maneuvers that Algeria implemented in the aftermath of Spain’s embrace of the Moroccan Sahara plan, in a bid to force Madrid into reversing its newfound support for Morocco’s territorial integrity.
Algeria’s regime finances, arms, shields, and lobbies on behalf of the Polisario Front, the separatist group claiming independence in the Western Sahara region in southern Morocco.
Spain’s gas exports to Morocco have been increasing despite the shutdown of the gas pipeline, according to data from the Corporation for Strategic Reserves of Petroleum Products.
According to Okdiario, “Morocco has become the second-largest destination for Spanish gas exports, behind France.”
In addition to the Maghreb pipeline, Algeria announced the suspension of its friendship treaty with Spain in 2022, in an apparent expression of its displeasure with Madrid’s pro-Moroccan shift on the Western Sahara dispute.
Morocco imported 858 GWh of natural gas in June, accounting for 35.5% of Spain’s total exports and far ahead of France, which received 354 GWh (14.6%). This follows the trend from 2024, when Morocco surpassed France for the first time with 9,703 GWh compared to France’s 9,362 GWh.
Spain is one of Morocco’s strategic routes for gas imports as the North African country seeks to diversify its energy sources.
To reduce the volume of its energy imports, Morocco has been boosting its renewable energy initiatives. Renewable resources currently contribute over 45% to Morocco’s electricity and grid and are on track to reach 52% ahead of the country’s 2030 target.
