Today, Morocco is making desalination a strategic priority, thus accelerating the construction of several large desalination stations. The goal is not only household consumption, but also to ensure an optimal sustainable water supply for agriculture and industry.
In a context where conventional water resources are under enormous pressure, in all regions of the Kingdom, Morocco has established a strategy to fight against the drought from which it has been suffering for six years already, due to a large deficit. rainfall.
These include the national drinking water supply and irrigation program 2020-2027, which was launched by His Majesty King Mohammed VI in 2020. The overall cost of this program is estimated at 143 billion dirhams.
Thus, the Kingdom plans to produce 718 million cubic meters (m³) of desalinated water per year through six stations, currently under construction or expansion.
The largest desalination station is that of Casablanca, the construction of which His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan launched in June 2024. Scheduled for the end of 2026, this desalination station will be the largest in Africa, it will have a production capacity of 300 million cubic meters for a population of 7.5 million inhabitants. The population concerned is that of Greater Casablanca and region, namely the towns of Berrechid, Settat and Bir Jdid as well as the surrounding regions. The said region contains the highest population density in Morocco and therefore has an increasingly growing demand for water.
The future station, the only one of its kind in Africa, will be spread over 50 ha of land and will require an investment of 6.5 billion dirhams. This will be done through a public-private partnership.
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Another installation will have to see the light of day by the end of 2024, this is the Amgriou desalination station. With an annual production of 200,000 m³, this station will contribute exclusively to the supply of drinking water to its region. The Sidi Ifni station, with an annual capacity of 3.2 million m³, will quickly follow. It will also be dedicated to drinking water and should be operational in the coming months.
The city of Dakhla will also have a desalination plant, with a capacity of 37 million m³ per year, priority will be given to agriculture, with 30 million m³ reserved for irrigation, while 7 million m³ will be used to the supply of drinking water. The work is expected to be completed in 2025.
As a reminder, Morocco currently operates 15 seawater desalination stations, with an annual production capacity of 192 million m³. Of this production, 85.2 million m³ are specifically allocated to the supply of drinking water for key cities such as Laâyoune, Agadir and Al Hoceïma, thus contributing to the security of water resources in these regions.
Manal Boukhal
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