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Algeria’s decision to sever diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Morocco began to take on other dimensions and transcend areas many analysts had warned against.
The latest of these decisions is the announcement not to extend the gas pipeline contract, which starts in Algeria and crosses Moroccan territory to supply Spain and Portugal with gas, a high-level source confirmed to the correspondent on Monday. Al-Hurra in Algeria.
The contract expires on October 31, while Algeria plans to supply the European market, via the Beni Saf line to the Spanish Almeria (Medgaz), which passes through the Mediterranean, with a capacity of five billion cubic meters, with a doubling of about 2 billion cubic meters per year, reaching 10 billion cubic meters.
The capacity of the gas pipeline with Morocco was three billion cubic meters.
Algerian economist Abdel Rahman Aye attributes his country’s decision to “indications issued by the Moroccan authorities according to which they will seize this pipeline which crosses their land, in case relations with Algeria deteriorate”.
Ayeh said in an interview with Al-Hurra that Algeria had indeed made the decision, “but the first Moroccan clues, even before things reached the level of a breakdown in relations, said that this pipeline did plus the gains he was making at the start for Rabat. ” .
He added: “Morocco does not have this wealth known as fossil fuels because it does not have gas, oil or coal, and it imports this wealth, and therefore we do not understand why it has. hinted before Algeria took the sovereign decision to cut ties, it was better, at least from a pragmatic point of view, that He maintain this fine line in the economic field. ”
On the other hand, Moroccan economic researcher Najib Al-Somai denied this accusation and his country’s desire to seize the pipeline. that Algeria, given the method of severing unjustified relations, has continued to take other measures. “.
Al-Hurra main source: Algeria will not renew gas pipeline contract with Morocco
Algeria has decided not to renew the contract for a gas pipeline crossing Morocco to Europe, a senior source told Al-Hurra correspondent in Algiers.
Who does it benefit from?
Al-Somai says that “the dangerous thing is that he does not profit from the operation, but that Algeria will lose an important customer, as well as an important logistics system, as well as a repositioning in the Spanish market after this practically lost it, the contribution of Algerian gas dropping from 65% to less than 35%.
While Aye believes that “Algeria does not lose anything on the basis of the decision, for example, all of Spain can be supplied by the transmer gas pipeline, and therefore this gas pipeline which passes through Morocco will not have not strategically important, at least for now. ”
Regarding the loss by Algeria of an important customer like Morocco, he said, “Algeria’s sales to Morocco are around one billion cubic meters, and this comes from the total export. 50 billion cubic meters of natural gas, so I don’t think Algeria is losing a lot of money because Morocco doesn’t import Algerian gas.
Morocco alternatives
Regarding the alternatives in Morocco after Algeria ceased to supply it with gas, Al-Soumai considers that the management of the country’s energy system has been a “strategic measure for years”.
Although Al-Soumai confirms that Algerian gas is important in the Moroccan energy system, he evokes “the major transformations that Morocco has experienced through the exploitation of renewable energies in recent years, as well as its repositioning on the energy markets. global by diversifying its partners. whether in the Gulf States, the United States or other countries.
He added: “Morocco today has a positive position in several markets, the first of which is the American market, which is considered a promising market, and the Gulf market is among the most important suppliers of Morocco, as well. than the eastern Mediterranean system. , which will start exporting in the next few days. “
Al-Somai said that “Morocco continues to improve the economic feasibility of the energy system it is about to complete with Nigeria through a major gas pipeline connecting Nigeria to Europe via Morocco with very large commercial, economic and industrial potential “.
It should be noted that last August, Algeria severed diplomatic relations with Rabat, after months of tension, in a decision that it attributed to “the perpetration by Morocco of hostile and despicable acts against the country. ‘Algeria”.
In turn, Rabat was quick to react, expressing his regret for this decision which he considered “unjustified”, stressing his rejection of what he described as “false justifications”.
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