Morocco-Spain: Energy Dependency Becomes a Strategic Issue

Madrid has denied the existence of a plan to use gas or electricity as a means of pressure on Rabat. However, the increasing analyses in Spain discussing this hypothesis bring to the forefront a broader question: that of Morocco's energy vulnerability and the necessity to diversify its access points to international markets.

Madrid Denies Any Energy Pressure Plans

The Spanish government rejected on August 18 reports suggesting a potential mechanism aimed at exploiting energy ties with Morocco amid diplomatic tensions.

Sources close to Moncloa, cited by the Spanish press, assured that no administration had been tasked with studying a scenario aimed at exerting pressure on Rabat through gas or electrical interconnections.

This denial is a crucial element in understanding the situation: no officially identified government plan is presented as existing to date.

However, alongside this official position, several publications and statements in Spain have fueled reflections in recent weeks on the possibility of using energy infrastructures in the power dynamics between the two countries.

Cooperation Infrastructures at the Heart of the Debate

Energy exchanges between Morocco and Spain rely notably on the underwater electrical interconnections REMO I and REMO II.

These links play a role in the electricity exchanges between the two grids and contribute to Morocco's energy integration with the European system.

Their strategic importance has, however, been widely discussed in several Spanish media since the beginning of August.

Some commentators have presented these infrastructures as a potential means of pressure. Others have, on the contrary, highlighted the considerable economic and diplomatic consequences that an interruption of exchanges would have.

The nuance is important: the existence of potential vulnerability does not mean that a political decision to exploit it has been made.

A Real Dependency, but Far from Total

Presenting Morocco as completely dependent on Spain for its electricity supply would, however, be excessive.

The Kingdom has national production capacities based on a diversified energy mix that includes thermal power plants, renewable energies, gas, and hydropower.

Electricity imported from Spain represents a variable share of Moroccan consumption depending on periods and market conditions. It is thus an element of the national energy system but does not mean that Madrid would have the power to cut off Morocco's electricity on its own.

However, a disruption of exchanges could have consequences on the balance of the grid, supply costs, and certain economic activities.

A Double-Edged Sword for Madrid

Using energy as an instrument of pressure would not come without consequences for Spain.

The interconnections allow exchanges in both directions and contribute to the functioning of an integrated energy market. A decision to permanently interrupt the flows could therefore also affect Spanish operators and economic interests.

It could also profoundly deteriorate the bilateral relationship between Madrid and Rabat, as the two countries have gradually strengthened their cooperation in several areas.

This would add legal, contractual, and European questions that would make any potential political use of the infrastructures particularly complex.

The Real Issue: Morocco's Energy Autonomy

Beyond the current controversy, the debate raises a strategic question for Rabat: how far should the diversification of energy sources and supply routes go?

This issue particularly concerns natural gas.

Morocco has been seeking to strengthen its access to the international liquefied natural gas market for several years. The goal is not necessarily to replace one dependency with another, but to have multiple options: imports, storage, regasification, transport, and national production.

This architecture would reduce exposure to a potential interruption of a single supply route.

Nador West Med at the Center of Expectations

In this perspective, the floating terminal project of Nador West Med occupies a special place.

The facility is expected to allow Morocco direct access to the international LNG market and provide a new entry point for natural gas.

The project notably foresees an announced nominal capacity of approximately 5 billion cubic meters per year, with a connection to existing and future gas infrastructures.

On February 2, 2026, however, the Moroccan Ministry of Energy Transition announced the suspension of the relevant tenders, citing new data and hypotheses.

In the current context, this timeline is particularly scrutinized. Any delay in diversifying infrastructures can be interpreted as maintaining a potential vulnerability, even if no official threat is articulated by Madrid.

Not Displacing Dependency

However, diversification is not simply about building new infrastructure.

If Morocco were to depend on a single terminal or a single gas corridor, vulnerability would not disappear; it would merely change location.

A robust energy strategy therefore requires multiple entry points, sufficient storage capacities, interconnected transport infrastructures, and a diversified supplier portfolio.

This logic also applies to electricity, where the development of renewable energies can gradually reduce exposure to fluctuations in imports.

A Strategic Alert Rather Than an Energy Crisis

For now, nothing suggests that Spain is preparing an energy offensive against Morocco. The Spanish government has officially rejected this hypothesis.

The real lesson from the controversy lies elsewhere.

The fact that energy infrastructures can be publicly considered as instruments of pressure is enough to remind us of their strategic dimension. For Rabat, the challenge is therefore less about responding to an immediate threat than about sustainably reducing vulnerabilities that could be exploited in a future crisis.

Energy security ultimately does not depend solely on the quantity of electricity or gas available. It also relies on the diversity of suppliers, infrastructures, and supply routes.

In this context, the controversy surrounding the cables between Morocco and Spain could serve as a reminder: an infrastructure designed to bring two economies closer also becomes an element of power as soon as it plays a significant role in the energy balance of one of the partners.