A senior Moroccan official said on Monday that Morocco is discussing with Spain the potential of reversing the flow of a gas pipeline if Algeria does not renew a supply arrangement that expires on October 31.

Reuters quoted the official, who asked not to be named, confirming local media reports, saying, “For Morocco, the pipeline is more of a tool for regional cooperation…we will not let it rust,”

He added that Morocco is in talks with Spain to use its LNG terminals to pass gas to Morocco using the same pipeline.

He continued: “This LNG will not compete with Spanish gas supplies. It will be an additional purchase ordered by Morocco which will pay the cost of the transit through Spanish terminals and the pipeline,”

He noted that Morocco also gave permits to gas importers in anticipation of Algeria not renewing the pipeline deal.

Algeria had earlier stated that it would not renew the deal to export gas through the 13.5 bcm pipeline that crosses Morocco, but would instead expand the Mediterranean Medgaz pipeline, which does not cross its neighbor, to a capacity of 10 bcm by December.

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Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said Friday in Rome that Morocco plays a vital role in the Mediterranean region in various sectors.

“Bilateral cooperation with the Kingdom, a fundamental player in the Mediterranean, can develop further if we involve the young generation”, declared the Italian minister, during a ceremony for awarding scholarships for excellence to Moroccan students.

Mr Di Maio used the occasion to praise Morocco’s pioneering role in the battle against terrorism and its support to regional peace, citing the Kingdom’s actions in the Libyan case.

“We have concluded a strategic partnership with Morocco on multidimensional projects, which is an important step on the way to strengthening bilateral relations in the various fields”, recalled the head of Italian diplomacy.

Three Moroccan students received scholarships from the Italian nonprofit Med-Or de Leonardo for excellent performance.

A two-year program in global management and politics, international relations, and economics and finance will be beneficial to these students.

This program is part of a new collaboration between Rabat’s Mohammed VI Polytechnic University and Rome’s Luiss Guido Carli Polytechnic University.

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In recent years, Spain has controlled freight traffic between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic, but Morocco is now prospering and outshining its Spanish rival.

Last year, Tanger Med dealt with nearly 5.8 million TEU (a unit for measuring cargo capacity), witnessing an increase of more than 20% over 2019; and therefore becoming the busiest container port in the region.
In the same period, freight traffic in Algeciras fell by 0.4%, equivalent to 5.1 million TEU.

According to Jordi Espen, policy manager at the European Shippers’ Council (ESC), what contributed to reinforcing the Moroccan port is the busy surrounding area, along with low-cost labour and a top-notch road transportation network.

In an interview, Espen said that Tanger Med was not considered a great competitor ten years ago, but has been expanding a lot during recent years hiring professionals with international expertise and adopting a very clear action plan.

Espen also highlighted the difference between the two countries’ policies explaining that Spain has stricter laws and must “negotiate with social agents”, especially when it comes to stowage (arrangement of containers on board a container vessel), while Tanger Med mainly adheres to custom legislation which are intended to help the port become more modern and more competitive.

It must be recalled that recent global trade trends linked to Covid-19 epidemic also play a role in the growth of the Moroccan port; as continuous e-commerce demands for Asian goods requires mobilization of large carriers necessitating infrastructure as modern as Tanger Med’s.

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