Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Rabat – Morocco moves to reinforce its energy system with a new investment plan that targets one of the sector’s long-standing gaps, which is fuel storage.
Energy Transition and Sustainable Development Minister Leila Benali presented the outline before parliament today, placing infrastructure at the center of ongoing hydrocarbons reform.
The government plans to allocate MAD 6 billion ($640 million) to expand storage capacity across the country. The objective is to build stronger reserves at regional and territorial levels and reduce exposure to sudden shifts in global oil markets.
Benali told lawmakers that Morocco has already made measurable progress. Storage capacity rose by more than 30% between 2021 and 2025. Current reserves now cover over 17 days of national demand for petroleum products.
The upcoming investment seeks to push this threshold further and provide a more solid buffer in times of uncertainty.
The discussion in parliament did not stop at infrastructure. Questions also addressed the profits of oil companies, their effect on household purchasing power, and the issue of strategic reserves.
Benali responded by linking these concerns to the broader reform effort, where storage capacity plays a central role in market stability.
The minister also pointed to ongoing coordination with oversight institutions. Her department shares regular data with the Competition Council and the General Directorate of Taxes, including figures on stock levels, storage capacity, and key market indicators.
This exchange supports closer monitoring of the sector and strengthens institutional control.
Benali placed the reform process within a longer timeline that dates back to the liberalization of fuel prices in 2015. She noted that several accompanying measures did not follow at the time, which left structural gaps in the market.
Since 2021, the government has worked to correct part of this imbalance, although some issues remain unresolved.
She closed her remarks with a call for continued collective effort. Expanding storage, securing supply, and improving market regulation require sustained legal and institutional work. The reform, she suggested, depends on consistent coordination between all actors involved in the sector.
Morocco now moves forward with a clearer focus on resilience, as energy policy shifts from short-term responses to longer-term safeguards.
