Morocco to initiate largest seawater desalination plant in 2021

Construction work on the world’s largest seawater desalination plant is well on track in Morocco’s Southern coastal city of Agadir.

The construction of Douira seawater desalination station  will cost about US$310 million. It will have a treatment capacity of around 75 million cubic meters of water per year.

The plant is expected to produce 275,000 cubic meters of desalinated water per day before reaching its maximum daily capacity of 450,000 cubic meters after being upgraded.

The station will supply the Chtouka Ait Baha region with drinking water for its population and irrigate 15,000 hectares of land. Farmers have also contributed to the financing of the station. The government has promised them desalinated water for irrigation at a low price per cubic meter in exchange for the investment in construction.

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The desalination plant, also provides for the option of being operated on wind power promoting the drive towards the exploration of sustainable energy in Africa.

Abengoa, a Spanish company that applies innovative technology solutions for sustainability in the energy and environment sectors, has been chosen by the Moroccan National Electricity and Drinking Water Office (ONEE) to construct the new desalination plant. It is expected to be functional in 2021.

The project is part of Abengoa’s strategic plan to solve supply problems in parts of the world that are most affected by water shortages, such as North Africa.

Abengoa has been present in Morocco since 1977 and has offices in the cities of Rabat and Casablanca. It has carried out major large-scale projects in the region, such as the world’s first ISCC (Integrated Solar Combined Cycle) plant located in Ain Beni Mathar.