This spectacular surge between March and April 2025 raises questions, especially given that Morocco is not traditionally a hydrocarbon producer. However, the country is increasingly positioning itself as a strategic energy hub, capable of refining, re-exporting, or serving as a crossroads for energy flows between Africa, Europe, and beyond.
When Diesel Becomes a Geopolitical Marker
Behind the numbers, a pressing question has surfaced in European energy circles: is some of the diesel shipped from Morocco to Spain actually of Russian origin, re-labeled along the way? The rumor is not new. According to Zero Hedge and other industry sources, part of the fuel may originate from Russia, shipped first to Morocco and then re-exported to Europe — thereby skirting sanctions imposed on Moscow since the start of the war in Ukraine.
While Brussels continues to assert a break with Russian energy, some EU member states remain bound by long-term supply contracts, leading them to rely on indirect sources. In this context, Morocco — deeply integrated into regional energy flows — appears as a neutral, agile, and strategic intermediary, helping maintain supply without entangling itself in major geopolitical disputes.
Rabat and Madrid: A Growing Energy Partnership
This development is part of a broader and deepening energy alliance between Morocco and Spain. Back in February 2025, Rabat had already imported 700 GWh of Spanish natural gas — a 50% increase compared to the previous year. That gas flows through the Maghreb-Europe pipeline, which has seen renewed activity thanks to its reversed operation, and helps power the Tahaddart plant, a flagship of energy efficiency in Morocco.
Morocco at the Center of Energy Geopolitics
By exporting diesel to Spain at record levels, Morocco is doing more than supplying fuel — it is sending a strategic message. It presents itself as a responsive, reliable, and now indispensable player in Euro-Mediterranean energy exchanges. In a world where energy resources are increasingly wielded as instruments of power, Rabat is advancing with caution, but also with growing influence.
Editorial team/le7tv