The Casablanca desalination plant, the construction of which was launched on Monday by HRH Crown Prince Moulay El Hassan, is an extremely strategic project for strengthening and securing the drinking water supply for the entire region, emphasized Tarik Hammane, Managing Director of the National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE).

This plant, set to be built in the Lamharza Essahel municipality (El Jadida province), is one of the largest in the world and the largest in Africa, with an annual production capacity of 300 million cubic meters per year, Hammane told the press at the launch of the project, noting that it will supply the cities of Casablanca, Settat and Berrechid and neighboring areas (Bir Jdid, Had Soualem).

The plant will be built in two phases and will supply drinking water to some 7.5 million people in the region, he added.

During the first phase, scheduled for commissioning at the end of 2026, the plant should reach a production capacity of 200 million cubic meters per year, extendable in a second phase (scheduled for mid-2028) to 300 million cubic meters per year, or an additional 100 million cubic meters, including 50 million for agricultural use, added ONEE's Managing Director.

This project will be carried out thanks to a public-private partnership, he continued, noting that ONEE has joined forces with national and international private partners to finance and carry out the project.

He added that the Casablanca desalination plant is just as important from a technical point of view, since it will be equipped with the best technologies in the field and will be powered by renewable energy.

All the electricity required for the plant's operation will come from non-polluting renewable energies," stated Hammane, stressing that all actions to respect the environment have been taken into consideration.