Morocco Seeks to End Energy Reliance on Spain Through Nador Terminal

Morocco currently relies on Spanish infrastructure for its energy security, specifically regarding electricity and natural gas. According to Red Eléctrica data, Spain supplied 3.88 TWh of electricity to Morocco in 2025, while Morocco exported only 132 GWh, leaving a trade balance of 3.75 TWh in Madrid's favor. The dependence on Spain is more pronounced in the natural gas sector. Following the 2021 cessation of gas supplies from Algeria via the Maghreb-Europe (GME) pipeline, Rabat adopted a reverse-flow logistics chain. Morocco now purchases liquefied natural gas (LNG) on the global market, which is regasified at Spanish terminals and then transported into Morocco through the GME pipeline. This setup currently fuels the Tahaddart and Ain-Beni-Matar power plants. To eliminate this reliance, Morocco's Ministry of Energy Transition planned a Floating Storage and Regasification Unit (FSRU) at the Nador West Med port. This project aims to move the regasification process to Moroccan soil. Under this plan, LNG tankers would dock in Nador, where gas would be converted to a gaseous state and fed directly into the national grid. The GME pipeline would continue to serve as a distribution artery, but the entry point would become autonomous.