A report from El Economista highlights Morocco’s significant position in the competition for natural gas transportation to Europe, particularly with respect to the Morocco-Nigeria Gas Pipeline (NMPG). The report emphasizes the strategic advantage of an underwater route amid regional uncertainties, thus holding a propensity to strategically outperform Algeria.
The article examines the complex dynamics of the Morocco-Nigeria Gas Pipeline and the Algerian Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, both of which are competing for a critical role in Europe’s energy supply chain.
Entitled “Morocco’s Plan in the Fight with Algeria for Nigerian Gas Passes Through Spain,” the paper emphasized that Spain’s support–coupled with recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over its Sahara–facilitates the pipeline’s construction along the kingdom’s coast, potentially sidelining the Algerian Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline.
Algeria, on the other hand, finds itself in a challenging position, facing potential setbacks in the race for gas transportation supremacy. The Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline, conceived in the seventies, faces uncertainties due to regional instability and changing geopolitical dynamics, particularly in the Sahel region.
While plans for Algeria’s Trans-Saharan Gas Pipeline project have not been completely discarded, the report suggests that Morocco’s strategic moves are tilting the balance in favor of the NMPG. The pipeline’s construction along the Moroccan coast–in conjunction with Spain’s pivotal support–not only secures Morocco’s energy future but also presents Europe with an attractive alternative, but also reduces dependence on geopolitically sensitive regions.
Morocco’s strategic moves in energy diplomacy are transforming North African energy dynamics—thus positioning the kingdom as a key player in the European energy landscape–with implications for the Mediterranean’s energy future, concluded the report.