Spain demonstrates how its vast network of regasification plants and international gas pipelines can turn a national energy strategy into a regional export push. While much of Europe pursues reduced reliance on Russian gas, Spain leverages its LNG terminals and ship-based gas movement to maximize outbound shipments to nearby markets and beyond, reshaping regional flows.
Exports from Spain have surged since the conflict began, rising by about 88 percent and reaching 73,186 GWh in the latest February figures reported by the Strategic Reserves Corporation. European destinations remain the primary buyers, accounting for about 90 percent of sales over the last year, compared with roughly two-thirds in 2021. This shift underscores Spain’s role as a key supplier in the European gas market during the disruption period.
France has emerged as the largest single buyer over the last year, a consequence of Spain’s geographic proximity and interconnecting pipelines. Exports to France rose near 160 percent during the conflict, both through pipeline routes and LNG shipments, surpassing 38,000 GWh, while imports from France held steady near 19,500 GWh.
‘Sea bridge’ with Italy
The energy crisis and evolving geopolitical tensions opened new channels for buyers to rise in the rankings. Italy, long reliant on external gas, has taken on a prominent role as a reseller of Spanish gas, capturing about 29 percent of Spain’s non-domestic market share in the most recent period. Italy’s renewed strategy involved a notable push to diversify supply by relying on small LNG carriers that continuously load regasified gas in Spain, particularly from the Barcelona facility. The result has been a ninefold increase in shipments to Italy, reaching a record 12,183 GWh last year.
Officials from both nations, along with Enagás, the operator of Spain’s gas system and its network of pipelines and regasification plants, have expanded Barcelona’s capacity to support the surge in deliveries to Italy. This arrangement—often described as a virtual pipeline using ships instead of buried conduits—has helped strengthen the bilateral energy relationship amid broader market stress.
Morocco as a transit destination
Spain restarted the Maghreb-Europe gas pipeline last June after Algeria temporarily halted service. Rather than sending gas to Spain as before, the line now channels flows from Spain toward Morocco, a reorientation that has intensified in recent months. The amount moving to Morocco rose from a modest baseline in June to a sustained lift through the autumn and winter, with shipments accelerating in November and continuing through February. Latest Enagás data show a sustained climb, with February reaching new highs and March continuing the rise.
Spain’s role here is to receive LNG or gas from various suppliers at regasification facilities and then redirect it toward Morocco via the Tarifa-Cádiz corridor. The shift has complicated regional diplomacy, especially as Spain’s stance on Western Sahara affected its relations with Algeria. Algerian authorities have warned against diverting gas and have threatened to reconsider existing contracts, while Spain’s energy administration has reiterated its commitment to preventing any diversion from planned routes.
Meanwhile, exports to Portugal have grown as well, driven by expanded pipeline capacity between the Iberian neighbors. Over the past year, Iberian gas trade increased by about 50 percent, with a dramatic surge in February as exports to Portugal rose tenfold, contributing a substantial share to Spain’s overall outbound gas.
Spain as a regional gas hub
Spain exported roughly 15 percent of its gas to Europe last year and retains substantial capacity to boost re-exports if needed. Enagás data indicate the Spanish system could ship up to 8.5 bcm annually to Europe via two French connections, aided by a compressor boost at Irún in November. The network also has the potential to supply another 4 bcm from regasification plants, expanding resilience and flexibility across the continent.
Looking ahead, full utilization of regasification capacity could unlock nearly 10 bcm more for European markets and push total exports beyond 20 bcm per year, representing a meaningful share of Europe’s gas needs and helping to offset supplies from Russia. Efforts to activate idle facilities, such as El Musel in Asturias, could add another 8 bcm to Spain’s export capacity in the near term, strengthening Spain’s role as a regional supplier in a stressed energy landscape.