Agreement with Kingdom of Morocco to develop third electricity interconnection and collaboration strategy in field of energy

The Spanish Ministry for Ecological Transition and the Moroccan Ministry of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development have signed two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) within the framework of the State visit by Their Majesties the King and Queen of Spain to the Kingdom of Morocco. The State Secretary for Energy, José Domínguez Abascal, formalised the signing thereof.

The first MoU relates to the "Development of a Third Electricity Interconnection". In the document, the two countries recognise that strengthening electricity interconnection capacities may help contribute to the enhancement of their strategies to develop renewable energies and increase the volume of exchanges.

It also stresses the importance of developing electricity interconnections that increase the security of the supply, thus benefitting the extension of the geographic dimension of the location of renewable energies.

The analysis, development and construction of this third interconnection has been entrusted to the system operators and electricity transmission network managers of the two countries - Red Eléctrica Española (REE) and the National Water and Electricity Office of Morocco, respectively. They both undertake to perform the technical and economic studies that will allow a proposal to be drawn up for the construction of the Third Spain-Morocco Electricity Interconnection, to enter into service by the year 2026.

The goal of the cooperation formalised through this MoU are to help Morocco move towards convergence with the internal electricity market rules, foster electricity exchanges - mainly of renewable energies - and, lastly, to contribute to removing barriers that hinder the free trade of electricity between the two countries, in the terms established in the EU Directive on common rules for the Internal Market in Electricity and the EU Regulation on the Internal Market in Electricity, under conditions of equality, competence and environmental conservation.

A Monitoring Committee will be set up, to be co-chaired by the respective Energy Ministers, which will meet at least twice a year to guarantee that the state of development of the Third Spain-Morocco Electricity Interconnection is being suitably monitored.

Strategic Association in Field of Energy

The Second Memorandum of Understanding contains the commitment by the two countries to cooperate in the field of energy to the benefit of economic development, industrial creation and job creation.

In order to prepare for the start-up of the Association, the Energy Association Committee (Spanish acronym: CAE) will be set up, co-chaired by the Spanish Minister for the Energy Transition, and the Minister for Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development of Morocco. Associated public and private organisations in the field of energy of the two countries may also participate.

The CAE, in turn, will set up a Joint Work Group to debate issues that affect the integration of the energy networks and markets, the development of renewable energies and the economy, and energy efficiency.

The final proposals and recommendations made by the Joint Group will form the basis for the CAE to draw up a roadmap, which will be the subject of the Governmental Agreement on Strategic Association.

The first meeting of the CAE is due to meet within the next three months.

Non official translation