Electric Interconnection Project Between Morocco and Portugal Opens New Prospects for Energy Integration Across the Mediterranean

By: Meryem Hafiani / ALDAR

Moroccan-Portuguese relations are advancing towards new horizons of strategic cooperation, as diplomatic sources revealed that consultations are underway between the foreign ministers of the two countries regarding the possibility of establishing an electric interconnection passing through Moroccan territory toward Portugal. This potential project reflects Lisbon’s desire to diversify its energy sources and engage with new partners in the southern Mediterranean, amid the profound transformations taking place in the global energy landscape.

In a move that reflects a pragmatic approach, Portugal is considering joining the existing electricity interconnection project between Morocco and Spain, rather than launching an entirely new initiative. This option would reduce financial and logistical costs while benefiting from the existing infrastructure and Morocco’s accumulated expertise in the field. Morocco is regarded as a pioneer in renewable energies and is currently exporting part of its electricity production to Spain via interconnection networks crossing the Strait of Gibraltar.

As Europe moves toward gradually reducing its dependence on traditional and imported energy sources from unstable regions, Morocco emerges as a reliable energy partner, increasingly attracting the attention of several European countries, including Germany, the United Kingdom, and France. The proposed electric link with Portugal is expected to offer a new outlet for clean electricity to flow into Western Europe, especially given Morocco’s major ongoing projects in solar, wind, and green hydrogen energy.

This approach also reflects Rabat’s ambition to become a regional hub for renewable energy and a key player in the regional energy security equation. It comes within the broader dynamic of Moroccan-Portuguese cooperation, which has strengthened in recent years, particularly following high-level meetings between officials from both countries—signaling that such projects go beyond technical dimensions and carry significant political and geostrategic implications.

If materialized, this interconnection would mark a major step toward building an interconnected Euro-Mediterranean electricity grid based on clean energy and serving sustainable development goals on both shores of the Mediterranean, with promising investment opportunities for both sides.