Morocco has broken ground on the MAD 6.5 bn (c. USD 650 mn) renewables-powered desalination plant in El Jadida province near Casablanca city, according to Map Express. The plant — set to be the largest in Africa — will provide drinking water and irrigation to communities in Casablanca, Settat, Berrechid, Birr El Jadid, and surrounding areas in an attempt to combat water scarcity after three years of drought in the country.

What we know: The desal plant — located on 50 hectares of land — will have a capacity of 300 mn cbm to provide drinking water for 7.5 mn people. The first phase is expected to be completed by the end of 2026 with a capacity of 548k cbm per day, which will increase to 822k cbm per day by mid-2028. Spanish infrastructure group Acciona is at the helm of the project alongside Acwa Power’s two Moroccan-based subsidiaries Afriquia Gaz and Green of Africa, Atalayar reported last November.

And that’s not all: The facility will also have a MAD 3 bn (c. USD 300 mn) drinking water transportation system with 3 pumping stations, 3 tanks, and a distribution network. The cost of producing drinking water will be MAD 4.48 per cbm.

All part of a bigger plan: The new plant is an effort to combat water insecurity after the country has experienced five years of drought. The project is part of the Development of Water Supply plan that falls under the MAD 143 mn National Program for Drinking and Irrigation Water Supply framework for 2020-2027.

REMEMBER- Water scarcity has been an ongoing problem in Morocco: Water inflows have declined in the country from 2.5k cbm per capita annually in 1960 to 620 cbm in 2020, placing Morocco in a situation of structural water stress. Last year the country approached the absolute water scarcity threshold of 500 cbm per capita per year.

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