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Rabat – Algeria has reduced its gas supply to Spain, according to the Spanish news outlet El Economista.
Quoting data from Spain’s energy company Enagas, the news outlet documented how gas supply to Spain through Medgaz, a pipeline supplying Spain with Algerian gas, has fallen by 25% in the last week compared to levels recorded in mid-March.
“Since last May 1, 234 (gigawatts/day) have been entering, compared to 312 GWh/day that was registered on March 14,” El Economista said.
The Spanish news outlet attributed the Algerian move to Spain’s decision to endorse Morocco’s Autonomy Plan as the “most serious and credible” basis to end the dispute over Western Sahara.
Spain ended a year-long dispute with Morocco in March after Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez addressed a letter to King Mohammed VI to announce his country’s endorsement of the Moroccan Autonomy Plan for Western Sahara.
The Moroccan government appreciated Spain’s support and agreed to reopen a new phase of relations based on transparency, mutual respect, and strengthened cooperation at all levels.
Spain’s decision frustrated the Algerian regime, which recalled its ambassador to Madrid to protest against Madrid’s change on Western Sahara.
Sonatrach, Algeria’s oil company, has also been threatening to “recalculate” gas prices to Spain, while the Algerian Ministry of Energy has publicly announced its willingness to end the gas contract with Spain if the European country sells the product to Morocco.
The Algerian threats reflect the country’s hostility and continued lobbying to undermine Morocco’s territorial integrity and sovereignty over Western Sahara.
Algeria has been supporting, backing, financing, sheltering, and arming the Polisario Front – a separatist group claiming independence over Western Sahara.
Addressing the threats and protestations from Algeria, Spain’s Foreign Affairs Minister Jose Manuel Albares has suggested that no external maneuvers would change or derail his country’s “sovereign decision” to endorse Morocco’s Autonomy Plan and deepen bilateral cooperation with Rabat.
The supply of gas from Algeria to Spain has “slowly decreased,” El Economista reported, adding: “The entry of gas for this month of May is even lower than the figure compared to May of last year, without taking into account the expansion of capacity.”
The Spanish news outlet quoted sources from the energy industry as saying that the reduction of Algeria’s gas supply is due to the “normal flow of demand.”
“This is not usual since the European Commission is trying to impose storage levels of 80% for all European countries and the gas shortage is causing an increase in electricity prices,” the Spanish news outlet argued.
