How did Morocco contribute to the return of electricity to Spain? | policy

Rabat- Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez thanked Morocco and France for providing them in southern and northern Spain with electricity, during the crisis in the Iberian Peninsula on Monday, and Sanchez confirmed in a press conference that returning electricity to a number of regions of the country was “thanks to the interconnections between France and Morocco, the two countries that I would like to thank for their solidarity at this moment.”

Morocco played an essential role in providing the Spanish network with electricity during the crisis, and contributed to the return of electricity that was widely cut in Spain, Portugal and part of France, and this led to the failure of phone and the Internet and the stopping of trains and flights before the current returned to some areas after hours.

The Spanish newspaper “Elbias” said that Morocco mobilized up to 38% of its production capacity to send energy on Monday afternoon, in order to restart the stimulation of supplies that were broken due to the power outages in the southern Iberian Peninsula.

The Moroccan Electricity Company has linked its network in Spain through the linking lines in the Strait of Gibraltar, at the request of the Spanish Electricity Company.

The parliamentarian and member of the Moroccan -Spanish Parliamentary Friendship Committee, Abdel -Ali Brooki, stressed that the Moroccan -Spanish relations are not a result of today, but rather the fruit of a long path of cooperation and solidarity between the two countries in various fields.

How did Morocco provide Spain with electricity?

Morocco and Spain brings together an electrical connection project, which in 1997 started operating the first sea electrical line, which passes through Gibraltar, with a capacity of 400 megawatts and 26 km long, linking Fardia Station to the small palace in Morocco and a Tarifa station in Spain.

This project was updated in 2006 by adding a second line within what is known as the “Remo” project, and according to energy expert, Abdul Samad Al -Mallawi, the total energy of these two naval lines is 1400 megawatts.

The expert confirmed to Al -Jazeera Net that the preparations are currently underway to launch a third line, with the aim of enhancing the ability to link and achieve a more effective energy exchange, especially in light of the electrical surplus recorded by Morocco due to the projects of renewable energies, which is difficult to store locally.

He added that Morocco, in turn, benefits from Spanish electricity during peak periods, which reduces its dependence on thermal stations that consume gas and fossil fuel.

Morocco and Spain agreed in November 2020 to activate the implementation of a memorandum of understanding, in order to establish a third electrical connection between the two countries through the Strait of Gibraltar in the horizon of 2026.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5AAAAPGXWK

How strong is Moroccan electric energy projects?

In 2021, Morocco exported about 851 gigatts/hour of electricity towards Europe, most of which were to Spain, which enabled the achievement of revenues of about 565 million dirhams (about 61 million dollars).

About 76% of Morocco’s exports of electricity towards Spain are heading, according to the Malawi expert, at a time when the electrical connection with Algeria stopped, while the connection with Mauritania has not yet entered the operation.

He says that these figures confirm the power of energy exchange between Morocco and Spain, which has proven effective during the recent crisis, as the Spanish network was provided with electricity through the quantities coming from Morocco, especially towards the southern regions of Spain.

Morocco depends on energy production on huge projects in the field of renewable energies, such as the Noor Ouarzazate Station and the Midelt station, in addition to a number of hydroelectric power stations, which makes it often record a surplus in production that is not consumed locally due to the limited storage, to be exported to the European market via the Spanish network, especially in the moments of high demand or emergency.

What interest does the countries adjacent to the exchange of energy achieve?

Al -Taqi expert, Amin Benouna, explained that the electrical relations between Morocco and Spain are based on commercial foundations, noting that the National Electricity Office in Morocco is considered a member of the European Electricity Market, and it enjoys a capacity that allows him to sell and sell electricity within this market.

Benouna pointed out that Morocco imports from Spain quantities of electricity that exceeds what it exports to it, and that the electrical exchange process takes place monthly according to the needs and based on the changing prices throughout the day.

The outcome of the exchanges with the Spanish network reached 1397 GB/hour in 2022, distributed over 1868 for imports, and 471 for exports.

In 2023, the outcome recorded 1849 GB/hour, of which 2311 GW for imports, and 462 for exports, according to the data of the Competition Council report.

The report attributed the level of imports to the stoppage of the two stations of Ain Bani Mutahar and the threats of the two heat from working in 2022, due to the closure of the European Maghreb gas pipeline, before recovering their regular activity thanks to the reverse flow of gas coming from Spain by the same tube.

Why was the Moroccan network not affected by the crisis?

Although the two countries have electrical lines, Morocco was not affected by the crisis that Spain witnessed, and Amin Banuna attributes this to the fact that the connection between the Moroccan and Spanish networks is carried out through the continuous and not alternating electrical current, which provides a kind of protection, and prevents the transfer of electrical crises from one country to another.

Speaking of the moment of power cuts in Spain, the expert stressed that “Morocco was then provided with quantities of electricity from Spain, and at the same moment the electricity supply was stopped, without this being a direct impact on the Moroccan network, thanks to the pre -emptive measures.”

He explained that the National Electricity Office relies on fast -response electrical generators that can be operated within minutes to secure the balance in the supply, in addition to the mechanisms of managing the demand by reducing consumption in some neighborhoods if the need arises, “which helped avoid any repercussions of the Spanish crisis on the national electrical system” as he put it.

What is the importance of regional electrical connection?

This crisis, which Spain and Portugal were exposed to, highlighted the importance of strengthening regional electrical connection to ensure electrical security and continuity, especially with the growing dependence on electricity in vital areas such as hospitals, airports, transportation and public facilities.

Abdel Samad Malawi believes that this importance increases for Morocco, Spain and Portugal with the approaching World Cup, which imposes great challenges in terms of stability and securing the electrical network to accommodate the increasing pressure during this international event.

He stressed the need to develop Moroccan electrical infrastructure, especially in light of the linking projects with Portugal and Spain, which opens prospects for strengthening a strong and effective Mediterranean network.

On December 2023, Morocco and Portugal signed a joint electrical connection between the two countries, on the sidelines of the activities of the Parties Conference in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

This statement aims to enhance the development strategies for developing renewable energies between the two countries, in addition to the capabilities of energy exchange between the African and European continents.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCCW6Wauufi

What are the lessons extracted from the Spain crisis?

The Spain crisis highlighted the weakness of some emergency plans, as the energy expert, Abdul Samad Malawi, believes that the reserve engines are not sufficient to cover the deficit, especially in sensitive facilities such as data centers, hospitals and banks; Therefore, it emphasizes the need to give priority to strengthen emergency systems and coordinate with the neighboring countries to exchange experiences.

He referred to the continuous efforts in Morocco to enhance its internal network, as is the case with the project of linking the south and the center, as well as the electrical connection project with Mauritania, within a broader strategy to secure the flexibility of energy supply, and to achieve self -sufficiency and regional integration at the same time.

In turn, the parliamentarian Abdel -Ali Brookly stressed that this crisis once again showed the importance of regional electrical connection between the neighboring countries, and the decisive role that he can play in the face of emergency.

He told Al -Jazeera Net that such breakdowns “remind us that any country may be vulnerable to them, which requires serious thinking about precautionary technology solutions and alternative strategies.”