By Ahmed Eljechtimi
MARRAKECH, Dec 4 (Reuters) – Morocco, which has endured seven years of drought, plans to supply 60% of its drinking water from treated seawater by 2030, up from 25%, its water minister said, as Rabat accelerates investment in desalination plants powered by renewable energy.
The push is crucial to ensure steady water supply and Morocco’s status as a key producer and exporter of fresh produce amid climate change, with droughts having dried up some of its main water reservoirs and depleted underground resources.
The North African country plans to produce 1.7 billion cubic metres of desalinated water annually by 2030 from projects under construction and plants for which it will hold tenders starting next year, Nizar Baraka told Reuters on Thursday on the sidelines of the World Water Congress in Marrakech.
The largest plant – with planned investment of about 10 billion dirhams ($1 billion) – will be located near Tiznit, 615 km (382 miles) south of the capital Rabat. It will have a capacity of 350 million cubic metres and will supply urban centres in the country’s food basket as well as farmlands, he said.
“Studies are underway as part of preparations for the plant’s tender, to be announced by mid next year,” Baraka said.
Besides the northern cities of Nador and Tangier, plants are also planned in Rabat in partnership with French group Veolia, as well as in Tantan, where the government is considering building a port dedicated to green hydrogen and ammonia exports, Baraka said.
Morocco currently operates 17 desalination plants producing 345 million cubic metres annually. Four additional plants are under construction with a combined capacity of 540 million cubic metres, scheduled to be ready by 2027, including a major facility in Casablanca, the country’s most populous city.
“All new desalination plants will be powered by renewable energy,” Baraka said.
Morocco has also faced rising temperatures that worsened evaporation in dams. To counter this, it installed floating solar panels on a dam near Tangier to reduce evaporation, which causes the loss of 30% of the country’s surface water, according to the minister.
“The experiment will be expanded to include dams in the south and mountainous regions,” Baraka said.
(Reporting by Ahmed El Jechtimi; Editing by Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
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