Spain pushes ahead with €400 million electricity cable to Morocco

The Spanish government, through the Ministry for the Ecological Transition, has included a third electricity interconnection with Morocco in its 2030 power‑system plan. The under‑sea cable, now estimated to cost €400 million – up from €216 million in earlier plans – would be financed via electricity access tariffs paid by Spanish consumers, despite the two countries already sharing two interconnections.

The National Markets and Competition Commission (CNMC) warned that the cost increase and the financing method lack a clear cost‑benefit analysis, noting that only part of the socio‑economic benefit would accrue to the EU market while the rest would go to Morocco. The regulator also highlighted that the cable’s length has been reduced to 42 km and that the number of connection points has been cut, raising concerns about the projected consumer benefits versus the higher expenditure.