Since the end of June, Spain has been delivering gas to Morocco in small quantities (a few hundred thousand m³). The country uses the Maghreb Europe (GME) pipeline, which was originally intended to supply Morocco and Spain with Algerian gas. But at the end of October 2021, Algeria, in a dispute with Morocco, cut off the tap. Morocco consumes one billion cubic metres of gas per year. 40% came from Algeria. As a "good neighbour", Spain therefore came to its rescue. To Algeria's great displeasure, the pipeline was given a new lease on life by transporting gas purchased by Morocco on the international market, delivered by LNG tanker in liquefied form to Spain, regasified there and then shipped via the GME.
After the 360-degree turn made by Spain on the delicate issue of Western Sahara, which opposes Morocco to its neighbour, the Iberian government has just planted a second knife in Algeria's back. At least according to Algiers, which has already threatened to cut off all its gas exports to Spain (via the Medgaz undersea pipeline) if it were finally used to supply Morocco.
Spain claims that not one m³ of Algerian gas passes through the pipeline. "A certification procedure guarantees that this gas does not come from Algeria. The interconnection will work with the technical rules of the EU, just like the interconnections with Portugal and France," explains the government. It remains to be seen whether Algeria will be satisfied with this.