Morocco’s Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Leila Benali, said that Algeria’s 2021 decision to halt gas supplies through the Maghreb–Europe pipeline forced Morocco and Spain into “unprecedented” cooperation, strengthening strategic ties between the two countries.
In an interview with El País published on Saturday, after her participation in the High-Level Meeting between the Moroccan and Spanish governments in Madrid, Benali said bilateral relations are currently experiencing a strong phase of harmony, noting that Morocco “works with friends and neighbors who are fully aware of our shared regional responsibility.”
Benali explained that after Algeria refused to renew contracts for the Maghreb–Europe Gas Pipeline, the pipeline stopped operating for several months before resuming activity in reverse flow, from north to south. She publicly thanked the Spanish government, stressing the quality of bilateral relations since 2021, when Algeria cut gas supplies to Europe shortly before the outbreak of the Russia–Ukraine war, a situation that required close coordination between Rabat and Madrid.
The minister also underlined Morocco’s strategic ambition to escape the “middle-income trap” by investing in low-cost, clean energy, which she said could raise the country’s economic growth rate from 3% to 6%. She revealed that 42% of Morocco’s electricity in 2023 came from renewable sources, a figure that has now risen to 45%, with a target of reaching 52% by 2027.
Benali described the renewable transition as a complex process, noting that reaching the first 40% was the hardest stage, as experienced by Spain. She added that energy-sector investments have tripled annually since 2021, pointing to a “real investment boom,” and confirmed that the Moroccan energy market is open to Spanish companies, while Moroccan firms are increasingly participating as partners in projects inside Spain.
She highlighted the strategic importance of the two submarine electricity interconnection lines between Morocco and Spain, with a combined capacity of 1,400 megawatts, operating in both directions. She disclosed that during the major electricity blackout in the Iberian Peninsula on April 28, Morocco mobilized 38% of its production capacity to help Spain restore its grid, calling this support a source of “pride.”
Benali also revealed that, “for the first time in history,” Morocco and Spain are now engaged in two-way trade of both electricity and gas. Looking ahead, she expressed hope that this cooperation would extend to critical minerals and raw materials, stressing that global demand for strategic minerals such as lithium and cobalt cannot be met without developing Africa’s mining sector and opening new trade corridors toward Europe. In this context, she described the Morocco–Spain interconnection as a “pivotal hub” for future energy and mineral supply chains.
