While the whole of Europe tries to minimize its dependence on Russian gas, Spain manages to take advantage of its extensive network of regasification plants that send and receive gas by ship and make the most of international gas pipelines. It causes a rapid increase in gas sales to other countries.
This Gas exports from Spain to other countries have increased by 88% since the start of the war and up to 73,186 gigawatt hours (GWh) equivalent to last February, according to the records of Strategic Reserves Corporation (Cores). European countries are by far the main target for gas exports, intensifying 90% of sales in the last twelve months (compared to 65% weight in 2021).
Spain has increased its gas shipments to France, the country with the most trade in the last year, to record levels due to its proximity and pipe connections. Exports to France during the war increased by almost 160%, both by gas pipeline and by ship, to over 38,000 GWh, while imports remained flat at around 19,500 GWh.
‘sea bridge’ with Italy
The energy crisis and the impact of different geopolitical tensions enabled new countries to gain strength on the list of major buyers. Italy, a country traditionally heavily dependent on Russian gas, It plays an unexpected leading role in gas exports from Spain and has been a prime target for resales in recent months (last time, last February, with 29% of the total).
The Italian Government promoted a lucky person. ‘Sea bridge’ to increase natural gas purchases from Spain Using small methane tankers that constantly load liquefied natural gas (LNG) in Spanish regasification plants, especially at the Barcelona plant. The renewed commercial intensity of this virtual gas pipeline meant that gas exports to Italy increased ninefold last year to a record 12,183 GWh.
officials of both countries, a “virtual pipeline” that uses ships, not pipes, and even Enagás, manager of the Spanish gas system and gas pipeline networks and regasification plants, has expanded the capacity of its facilities in the port of Barcelona to support the boom in shipments to Italy.
Morocco, transit country to consignee
Spain reopened the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline last June, which Algeria had unilaterally closed a few months ago. But the re-commissioning of the pipe through the Strait of Gibraltar no longer serves to transport gas to Spain as it always has, instead the direction of the supply flow has been reversed to send gas from Spain to Morocco. In recent months, these gas shipments to Morocco have not stopped intensifying.
The volumes transported to the African country when the pipeline reopened were minimal, but exports have intensified strongly in the last two months. Compared to the nearly reference volumes of June (60 gigawatt-hours, GWh), July (172 GWh) and September (123 GWh), shipments started to increase in October (328 GWh) and skyrocketed in November (553 GWh). (527 GWh) and in January (536 GWh) and Reaching new historic highs in February (680 GWh) and March (820 GWh), according to the latest Enagás records.
Spain’s role is limited to receiving the vessels with gas that Rabat has purchased from any supplier country at regasification plants and sending it to the Alaouite country via the Tarifa (Cádiz) gas pipeline. Thus, Madrid is throwing a cape at Morocco in the midst of the energy crisis.While trying to intensify and direct their good bilateral relations. But the greeting to Morocco complicates the situation even more. Diplomatic conflict between Spain and AlgeriaAfter the return of the Government of Pedro Sánchez in Western Sahara, he supported the Moroccan autonomy plan for the former Spanish colony.
The Algerian government blocked trade relations with Spain and threatened to break gas supply contracts signed with Spanish companies if it found that some of this gas was resold to Morocco, with which it also broke diplomatic relations because of the Sahara. Spanish Manager Algeria completely denies that gas can be diverted to Morocco and has put in place a special plan to prevent such a possibility.
Parallel to this, gas sales to Portugal are also increasing. Over the past year, gas shipments through gas pipelines connecting both Iberian countries have increased by 50%, but have skyrocketed in recent months. In February alone, sales to Portugal increased tenfold, intensifying more than a quarter of all Spanish exports.
Spain as a gas hub
Spain re-exported about 15% of all gas to Europe last year. has the capacity to further increase resale to the country and if necessary. According to data handled by Enagás, the Spanish gas system could export 8,500 million cubic meters (8.5 bcm) of gas per year to the continent via two gas pipelines with France, following a capacity increase with a new compressor launched in Irún in November. and currently has the capacity to ship an additional 4 billion cubic meters from the regasification plants.
However, if regasification plants are brought to full capacity, almost 10 billion cubic meters more could be added and the amount diverted to other European countries could increase to over 20 billion cubic meters each year (about 13% of the volume of gas Europe buys from Russia). . In addition, Enagás is working to immediately put into operation the hitherto idle El Musel’s Asturias facility to use it as a re-export logistics warehouse, which could increase Spain’s capacity to deliver gas to Europe by another 8 billion cubic meters from the next date. . year.