Page 58 - Nigeriaone mag 2 edition en

The Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline back in use

gas pipeline, illustrative image

The 1430 km long Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline (GME), which has been in operation since 1996, used to
transport natural gas from the Algerian gas fields of Hassi R'Mel to the city of Cordoba in Spain via Morocco
and the Strait of Gibraltar. Nevertheless, the gas transportation infrastructure has been closed since October
2021 by the Algerian state. One of the reasons for this is the diplomatic tension between Algeria and
Morocco over the long-standing and heated issue of the Western Sahara. This Moroccan-controlled territory
is subject to a sovereignty claim by the Polisario Front, which is supported by Algeria. Spain therefore only
receives Algerian gas through the Medgaz pipeline, which connects the Algerian facilities at Beni Saf to the
port of Almeria.

A shut-down and its consequences RIbera is a sign of reconciliation between the two
Spain has thus recorded a decline in the volume of countries after a year 2021 marked by many diplo-
gas from Algeria even if the Medgaz pipeline has matic and political crises.
taken over. Indeed, the latter only carries 8 billion
m3 per year against 10 billion for gas pipeline Ma- A reopening as from June 2022
ghreb Europe. In 2021 nearly 40% of Spanish natu- Since June 28, 2022, Morocco has been supplied wi-
ral gas came from Algeria. In the first quarter of th natural gas by Spain through the Maghreb-Euro-
this year, this figure has dropped to nearly 25% pe gas pipeline infrastructure. This is the first time
Because the GME runs 570 km through Morocco, the pipeline has been used to transport gas from
the latter was entitled to 500 million m3 of gas. In Europe to the Maghreb. On the digital application
addition to that, the Cherifian kingdom obtained a of Enagas, the structure in charge of the Spanish
preferential rate for the same volume of gas per gas network, there is a natural gas flow of 153,000
year. It is worth noting that this volume of gas im- m3/hour from Spain to Morocco.
ports represented 97% of Morocco's needs. The bil- The only condition that Algiers imposed was that
lion cubic meters of natural gas thus obtained allo- its gas not be transported to a third destination not
wed the operation of the thermo-electric power included in their agreement (implicitly Morocco).
plants of Ain Beni Mathar in the East and Tahad- In this, Madrid asserts in April 2022 through its Mi-
dart in the North. They were producing 10% of the nister of Ecological Transition that the gas delive-
country's electricity. Furthermore, from an econo- red is by no means Algerian. Rather, it is gas acqui-
mic point of view, Morocco's revenues from the in- red by Morocco on the international markets. The
frastructure amounted to more than 50 million eu- latter is delivered to Spain to be regasified before
ros per year. The closing of the Maghreb-Europe joining the Cherifian state through the Maghreb-
gas pipeline is therefore a serious blow to the Mo- Europe gas pipeline. To prove its claims and clarify
roccan economy. In support of Morocco, Spain has the situation, Enagás is responsible for verifying
decided to send gas from its territory through the and issuing certificates on the origin of the gas to
Maghreb-Europe pipeline. This announcement by be transported to Morocco.
the Spanish Minister of Energy Transition Teresa

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