Morocco to cut energy ties with Spain and build regasification plants

Morocco is set to sever energy ties with Spain, unveiling ambitious plans for regasification plants and pipelines, according to Moroccan media citing the Spanish news platform El Confidencial. The move follows Algeria's closure of the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline in October 2021, which prompted Morocco to address its energy dependence.

 Initially relying on Spanish assistance in 2022, Morocco reversed the Maghreb-Europe pipeline's flow to pump gas from north to south, purchasing Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) internationally and transporting it to Spanish regasification plants.

Now, Morocco will reportedly build its own energy infrastructure, including three LNG regasification plants, storage tanks, and pipelines. The first plant will be located in Nador West Med, with a pipeline connecting it to the Maghreb-Europe pipeline. The second plant will be a floating unit in Mohammedia, while the third is planned for Dakhla.

Morocco aims to become a significant energy corridor between Africa, Europe, and the Atlantic basin. It also is exploring a potential 6,000-kilometer mostly submarine gas pipeline to transport Nigerian gas to Morocco and Spain.