Algeria has reduced its gas deliveries to Spain, via the Medgaz pipeline, by 25% compared to levels recorded in mid-March, according to daily monitoring data reported by the Spanish energy company. , Enagas.
This North African country has gradually reduced the quantity of gas supplied to Madrid. In reality, the threat was already hovering in the air, given the current context marked by the warming of relations between Madrid and Rabat since the declared support of the head of the Spanish government, Pedro Sanchez, for the Moroccan autonomy plan for the Sahara, the last month.
Since then, Algiers has continued to demonstrate its opposition to this reversal of Spain’s position, through several media releases. Some observers wonder if Algiers would have suspected Spain of transporting Algerian gas to Morocco, to take such an initiative to reduce its quantities of gas. Indeed, Algiers had threatened to break its contract with Spain if this European country supplied its gas to the Kingdom of Morocco.
« Any routing of Algerian natural gas delivered to Spain, whose destination is none other than that provided for in the contracts, will be considered as a breach of contractual commitments, and consequently, could lead to the breach of the contract binding Sonatrach to its Spanish customers”, indicated the Algerian Minister of Energy and Mines, Mohamed Akrab.
Spain had agreed to Rabat’s request to help transport gas to its territory via the Maghreb-Europe Gas Pipeline (GME) in the opposite direction. More specifically, under a gas agreement, Spain was to transform, in its regasification plants, the liquefied natural gas (LNG) that Morocco would buy on the international market, before transporting it to Moroccan territory through the GME. On October 31, Algeria broke the GME contract which supplied Spain via Morocco.
It should be noted that, to prevent any unexpected situation with Algeria, Spain has turned strongly to the United States for its gas supply, reducing, at the same time, its dependence on Algiers.
By OMA Newsletter N° 691 of 06/05/2022
The OMA, NGO with an Intercontinental vocation
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The promotion and consolidation of Africa’s development, and
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