Morocco is negotiating with Spain and other gas traders to secure a medium-term supply agreement aimed at decarbonizing the economy, according to Moroccan Energy Minister, Leila Benali.
“We want to access the Liquefied natural gas (LNG) market and ensure diversity and security of supply,” Benali said in an interview on the YouTube channel of the Al Attiyah Foundation, a non-profit organization established to preserve and build upon Qatar’s energy industry, published on Sunday.
Up until last October, Morocco obtained most of its gas from the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline that was used to transport Algerian gas to Spain via Morocco but was shut down following Algeria’s decision to terminate the contract last October.
In October, Reuters quoted an official from the Ministry of Energy who said that Morocco would resume its pipeline project to import gas from Spanish LNG terminals for use in two small electricity plants in northern Morocco.
Morocco submitted a tender to build its own floating storage and regasification unit (FSRU) in March, opting to use the Atlantic Mohammedia port as the location.
As part of its efforts to boost gas infrastructure and unlock demand, the minister said in the interview that the government is also considering a land-based regasification terminal.
As the North African country pushes for a low-carbon future, the demand for electricity is expected to rise to 3 billion cubic meters by 2040, Benali said.
Benali further stated that the share of renewable energy capacity in installed capacity rose to 45% last year and was expected to reach 52% by 2025 as 10 GW of renewable energy capacity is expected to be installed over the next few years.
“The private sector is interested in Moroccan offshore wind to export electricity to Europe,” she concludes.
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