Morocco surpasses France as Spain's leading gas importer

Morocco has emerged as Spain's largest natural gas customer, overtaking France, according to recent figures released by the Corporation of Strategic Reserves of Petroleum Products (Cores). Data highlighted by The Objective reveals that Morocco imported a staggering 9,703 gigawatt hours of natural gas through the Maghreb-Europe pipeline, which connects the two nations. This volume surpasses the gas received by France, which amounted to 9,362 gigawatt hours in 2024.

In addition, Morocco outperformed Portugal, which imported significantly less at just 4,056 gigawatt hours. Despite its limited domestic production of gas, Spain has established a robust infrastructure for gas transport and processing, including key pipelines like the Medgas and Maghreb-Europe, alongside six regasification plants.

According to Attaqa, Morocco's overall gas imports rose by 3% year-on-year, totaling 886 million cubic meters in 2024, compared to 861 million cubic meters in 2023. The first quarter of the year saw imports of 186 million cubic meters, while the second quarter rose to 219 million cubic meters. The third quarter marked the peak of gas imports at 252 million cubic meters, followed by a slight decrease to 229 million cubic meters in the fourth quarter.

Data indicates that July and August were pivotal months, showcasing the highest import levels for Morocco. Despite this reliance on imports, the North African nation is committed to improving its self-sufficiency in natural gas production. In February, Graham Lyon, CEO of Sound Energy, suggested that undiscovered gas reserves in eastern Morocco could exceed 20 trillion cubic feet. Accordingly, earlier this year, Sound Energy announced plans for a gas liquefaction facility at the Tendrara field, potentially positioning Morocco to enter the liquefied natural gas market by year-end.

This strategic move aims to diminish Morocco’s dependence on gas imports while enhancing local energy generation, especially in electricity and phosphates.