Moroccan energy coalition calls for Samir refinery restart amid global supply concerns

Morocco’s National Front for Saving the Moroccan Oil Refinery has renewed calls to restart the shuttered Samir refinery and restore fuel price regulation, warning that international conflicts and disruptions to energy supplies threaten the country’s energy security.

In a statement following its executive bureau meeting on Friday, October 23, the coalition urged Moroccan authorities to adopt a comprehensive energy strategy addressing immediate supply needs while strengthening national energy sovereignty over the medium and long term.

The coalition argued that escalating international conflicts, attacks on energy infrastructure and disruptions to maritime trade routes had increased the risks facing countries dependent on imported petroleum products.

It criticized the absence of the Samir refinery and fuel pricing issues from the government’s agenda, despite their prominence in previous election campaigns.

The coalition said restarting Samir’s refining and storage operations had become an economic and strategic necessity, particularly given the risk of supply interruptions.

It also claimed that diesel refining margins exceeded MAD 6 per liter, although the statement provided no detailed methodology for that estimate.

Coalition challenges government over fuel prices

The group criticized the government for excluding Samir’s reopening and fuel price regulation from its program, arguing that both issues had featured in the election campaigns of parties now represented in the majority and opposition.

It called for reversing fuel price liberalization and restoring government regulation to limit inflation and protect household purchasing power.

The coalition also cautioned against treating renewable energy development as a substitute for addressing Morocco’s petroleum supply challenges, claiming renewables accounted for only 10% of national production.

Founded in July 2018, the coalition pledged to continue campaigning for Samir’s reopening, arguing that domestic refining could support employment, industrial development and regional economic activity.

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