Faced with seven consecutive years of drought, Morocco is increasingly relying on seawater desalination to meet its drinking water needs. The Kingdom aims to increase the share of treated water from the sea to 60% by 2030, compared to 25% currently, announced Nizar Baraka, Minister of Equipment and Water, at the World Water Congress held in Marrakech, reports the daily newspaper L’Economiste on December 5.
According to the minister, the country plans to produce 1.7 billion cubic meters of desalinated water annually by 2030. This production will be made possible by projects already under construction and new plants for which tenders are expected to be launched as early as next year. Among these projects, the largest facility will be located near Tiznit, in the south of the country. This project will require an estimated investment of approximately 10 billion dirhams and will have a production capacity of 350 million cubic meters per year. The water produced will supply not only the urban centers of this region, often referred to as Morocco's breadbasket, but also the surrounding agricultural lands. Studies are currently underway to prepare the tender, which should be published by the middle of next year, the minister stated.
The national desalination plan is not limited to the south. Plants are also planned in the north of the country, in Nador and Tangier, as well as in Rabat, where the project will be developed in partnership with the French group Veolia, according to the report. In Tantan, the government is simultaneously considering the construction of a port dedicated to the export of green hydrogen and ammonia, a project that reflects the state's commitment to linking water supply and energy transition.
To date, Morocco operates 17 desalination plants, with a total production of 345 million cubic meters of water per year. Four more plants are currently under construction, with a combined capacity of 540 million cubic meters and expected to be operational by 2027, including a large facility planned for Casablanca. True to its renewable energy policy, the Kingdom assures that all new desalination plants will be powered by clean energy sources, thus highlighting the alignment of these projects with national climate objectives.
As climate change increases pressure on water resources, Morocco intends to make desalination a strategic component of its water security, combining infrastructure modernization and technological innovations to guarantee access to water for its citizens and support the country's agricultural and industrial development.
