How Israel deprived Morocco of one of the most strategic projects in its history

[Ziri]

Comment Israël a privé le royaume de l'un des projets les plus stratégiques de son histoire

Un coup économique majeur allume les flammes de la discorde. La crise en Algérie et au Maroc va-t-elle saper les espoirs de renouvellement du gazoduc vers l’Espagne ?

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How Israel deprived Morocco of one of the most strategic projects in its history

The pipeline that Algerian gas should transit to Europe via Moroccan territory aimed not only to meet the kingdom's energy needs, but also to serve as a basis for a partnership, or even an energy alliance as a prelude to a final settlement of the issues. contentious. From this pipeline it was even possible that the Arab Maghreb Union could be born in the image of the African Union that Gaddafi wanted in his time ... However, this deeply anti-Zionist Maghreb union was frightening. Hence the damn normalization that has turned everything upside down. Is this end of the Algiers-Rabat partnership irreversible? Algerians answer yes. The axis of the Resistance wants him to believe otherwise. Hoping that reason prevails in Rabat and that the Makhzen will expel Israel, once aligning itself with the will of the Moroccan people.

The Algerian oil company Sonatrach has decided to increase the transport capacity of a gas pipeline that connects it directly to Spain, indicating its definitive renunciation of supplying Europe with natural gas via the line passing through Morocco.

Sonatrach announced last Wednesday that the annual transport capacity of the Medgaz gas pipeline, which directly links the Algerian city of Beni Saf and that of Almeria in Spain, had reached 10.5 billion cubic meters.

The annual capacity of the Medgas pipeline is estimated at 8 billion cubic meters per year, which can be increased to 16 billion cubic meters after the completion of all works on this line.

According to a statement from Sonatrach, the additional transport capacities of the Medgaz pipeline will come into service at the end of November.

This step by Algeria clearly means that this country will no longer renew its contract for the delivery of gas to Spain via Morocco. The agreement between the two countries for the transit of Algerian gas to the Spanish market via Morocco expires on October 31.

A few days ago, the Algerian Ministry of Energy announced his country's total commitment to continue to supply gas to Spain through a direct pipeline connecting the two countries, but without going through Morocco.

Following a meeting between the Algerian Minister of Energy, Mohamed Arkab, and the Spanish Ambassador to Algeria, Fernando Moran, a press release indicates that Mohamed Arkab underlined his country's ability to respond to the growing demand for gas on European markets, in particular the delivery of gas to Spain.

Algeria has gas liquefaction plants, the largest of which is the Arzew refinery in north-western Algeria east of Oran, which allows it to export liquefied gas via equipped marine tankers.

Morocco benefited from this pipeline in the form of financial income and transit rights, in addition to the annual quantities of natural gas.

In exchange for the transfer of Algerian gas to Spain via Morocco, this country received its natural gas transit rights and royalties.

The developments come after Algeria announced on August 24 that it had severed diplomatic relations with Morocco over what it called a hostile act by Morocco.

As for the second gas pipeline, which is Medgaz, it connects the coastal city of Beni Saf in western Algeria directly to Almeria in southern Spain, and was inaugurated in 2011 with a transport capacity of 8 billion cubic meters by year.

In summer 2018, Sonatrach renewed the gas supply contract to Spain for a period of 10 years, with quantities amounting to 9 billion cubic meters per year.

According to Spanish media, due to the diplomatic crisis with Madrid over illegal immigrants as well as deep differences over Western Sahara, Morocco has announced in recent months that it will not renew the gas pipeline transit contract with Algeria. .

The reception by Spain of the secretary of the Polisario Front, Ibrahim Ghali, in one of his hospitals for the treatment of the coronavirus, caused a crisis between Rabat and Madrid, which intensified after the influx of thousands of irregular migrants, mostly from the Maghreb, to the Spanish enclave of Ceuta.

Last June, the Arabic-speaking channel Al-Hurra, reported that Morocco was using pressure levers to react to the latest developments and to Madrid's position.

The website reported that Rabat had suspended talks to extend the concession to transfer the gas pipeline between Algeria and Europe via Morocco.

But Morocco has denied what was reported by the Spanish media. Amina Benkhadra, Director General of the Moroccan National Office of Hydrocarbons and Minerals (ONHYM), declared: “Morocco's desire to preserve this export route has been clearly and firmly approved at all levels for more than three years. ".

However, the official Algerian news agency said that the support of the Moroccan authorities for the preservation of the Algerian gas pipeline connecting Morocco and Europe was "a lie".