The latest official data released by Spain’s Strategic Petroleum Reserves Corporation (Cores) revealed that Morocco became the leading destination for Spanish natural gas exports in June, surpassing all other European countries.
According to Spanish media citing the institute, Spain’s total gas exports to Morocco reached 858 gigawatt-hours, representing 35.5 percent of Spain’s overall gas exports during the same month.
The data further shows that Spain exported over 52 percent of its gas through pipelines, while around 48 percent was transported in the form of liquefied natural gas (LNG). Nevertheless, Spanish gas exports recorded a 40 percent decline compared to the same period in 2024.
The surge in Spanish gas exports to Morocco in June coincided with an increase in Algerian gas exports to Spain during the same month. Algeria supplied between 26 and 30 percent of Spain’s gas needs in June, according to a report by Courrier International.
Analysts note that the rise in Algerian exports to Spain is paralleled by an expansion in Spain’s re-exports of gas to Morocco, within the framework of continued energy cooperation between Rabat and Madrid, despite the suspension of the Maghreb-Europe pipeline since the fall of 2021.
These supplies are transported through the “Medgaz” pipeline, which connects the Algerian port of Beni Saf to the Spanish port of Almeria. This strategic line ensures direct and regular flows between Algeria and Spain, after the halt of the Maghreb-Europe pipeline due to tensions between Rabat and Algiers over the Sahara issue.
It is worth noting that Algeria’s decision to stop supplying Europe (Spain and Portugal) with gas through the pipeline crossing Morocco was aimed at pressuring Rabat and placing it in a difficult “energy” position, particularly since Morocco had relied on that pipeline to cover its needs.
However, the developments following Algeria’s decision proved unsuccessful in achieving that goal, as Morocco resorted to using the Maghreb-Europe pipeline in reverse — importing gas from Spain after purchasing it from international markets.
This move by Algeria also pushed Morocco to seek other energy alternatives by launching several projects, including domestic gas exploration and initiatives to expand green energy production.
