Morocco’s gas imports from Spain up 167% in April

Morocco’s gas imports jumped 167% by the end of April through the Maghreb Europe pipeline, key to powering small electricity plants in northern and eastern Morocco.

The information was revealed by energy minister Leila Benali who was speaking to MPs underscoring the efficiency of the reverse flow of the pipeline.

She also highlighted the role of gas as a transitional energy that would help decarbonize the economy and help promote renewable energies.

Investments are underway in gas infrastructure wherein private operators are injecting up to 8 billion dirhams, she said.

On renewable energies, she said her department greenlighted projects with a total capacity of 1000 MW, the highest ever to be approved by her department in a year.

She told MPs Russian diesel represented 10% of Moroccan imports, after reports that pointed at an increase of cheap Russian diesel sales to companies operating in the country.

Morocco is planning to increase its oil stockpiles by investing in storage capacity with the setting up of a joint committee from her department and that of the finance ministry tasked with the follow up, she said.

Morocco will increase its oil storage capacity to 370,000 cubic meters this year for an investment of 1.2 billion dirhams, she said.