Morocco is in talks with Spain about reversing the flow of a gas pipeline if Algeria fails to extend a supply agreement by October 31, a senior Moroccan official told Reuters.
Algeria said it was able to provide gas to Spain through the Medgaz pipeline, excluding Morocco and the Maghreb-Europe pipeline that runs across the Kingdom and plays a key role in supplying gas to Morocco.
The Medgaz gas pipeline links the Algerian installations of Béni Saf to the port of Almería in Spain, passing under the Mediterranean Sea, of a capacity of 8 billion m3, and is far behind the capacity of the gas pipeline passing through Morocco (13.5 billion m3).
For Spain, this may mean an expected reduction in supply, which in turn will make prices even higher, coinciding with the potential energy crisis to appear this winter in Europe.
There has been no final decision taken on the Maghreb-Europe pipeline yet, according to recent statements by the Algerian President Abelmadjid Tebboune.
Algeria had accused Morocco of being complicit in the deadly forest fires by claiming the country supported independence movements MAK and Rachad, cited as one of the reasons for cutting ties with Morocco.
Relations between Morocco and Algeria have been fraught in the past decades, mainly over the territory disputed by the Polisario Front, an Algerian-backed separatist movement.
Despite tensions, Morocco said it would remain a credible and loyal partner to Algeria and will continue to act to develop inter-Maghreb relations.
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