Morocco is planning to increase its strategic fuel storage reserve capacity by more than 1.5 million cubic metres (m3) by 2030 through investments estimated at nearly 6 billion Moroccan dirhams ($600 million), according to a report by Arabic language news website Assahifa.

Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development Leila Benali told the country’s Parliament that the plan forms part of the government strategy to reinforce strategic reserves amid the Middle East conflict, which has disrupted global oil and natural gas shipping flows, the report issued on Sunday said.

The minister said a key pillar of the programme is the expansion of storage infrastructure.

Investments in fuel storage have increased by more than 30 percent over the past three years, with total storage capacity touching 3.2 million m3 in 2025.

Projects are also under development to add around 400,000 m3 of storage capacity for butane and 100,000 m3 for jet fuel by 2030.

Benali said the government is also considering the utilisation of storage facilities owned by the country’s sole refining company La SAMIR, currently under judicial liquidation.

The minister also noted that about 80 percent of existing storage capacity is concentrated in the Casablanca-Settat and Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima regions, prompting efforts to diversify investments geographically. This includes the Nador West Med Port in the eastern region, which is expected to play a key future role in hydrocarbons and natural gas storage.