10 June 2024
Lamharza Essahel Commune (El Jadida Province) – HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan inaugurated the construction of the Casablanca seawater desalination plant on Monday in the Lamharza Essahel Commune, under the El Jadida Province. This plant will be the largest of its kind in Africa, with an ultimate annual production capacity of 300 million cubic meters, benefitting an estimated 7.5 million inhabitants.
This ambitious project reflects the high importance and attention that His Majesty King Mohammed VI, may God assist Him, places on addressing the strategic issue of water, especially in light of the current significant rainfall deficits and intense pressure on conventional water resources across the Kingdom’s various regions.
The desalination plant is a pivotal component of the “Improving water supply” axis within the National Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation Program 2020-2027. This program, launched by His Majesty the King in 2020, has a total budget of 143 billion dirhams.
To meet the escalating water demand in Greater Casablanca, Settat, Berrechid, Bir Jdid, and the surrounding areas, the plant will be constructed in two phases over a 50-hectare site. The project will require an overall investment of 6.5 billion dirhams, mobilized through a public-private partnership.
The first phase, set for completion by the end of 2026, will deliver a capacity of 548,000 cubic meters of treated water per day, translating to 200 million cubic meters annually. The second phase, planned for mid-2028, will expand the capacity to 822,000 cubic meters per day, or an additional 100 million cubic meters per year, with 50 million cubic meters designated for agricultural use.
This landmark project includes the construction of a reverse osmosis seawater desalination plant and a comprehensive system for transporting the produced drinking water. This system features three pumping stations, three storage tanks, and a 130-kilometer distribution network of supply pipes. The drinking water transport system alone will necessitate an investment of 3 billion dirhams, financed by public funds.
The state-of-the-art Casablanca desalination plant will feature two 1,850-meter-long seawater intake pipes, a 2,500-meter-long discharge outfall, reverse osmosis desalination facilities with pressure filters and microfilters, a sludge treatment unit, a control and management center, pumping stations, and a storage reservoir for the produced drinking water.
With a drinking water production cost estimated at 4.48 DH per cubic meter, the future plant will be entirely powered by renewable energy and managed with full automation, ensuring efficient and sustainable operation.
