Morocco’s National Power and Drinking Water Office (ONEE) has contracted Spanish desalination company, Abengoa, to construct a 100,000 m³/d plant, some 45 km from the city of Agadir.
The plant will be developed under ONEE’s first public-private partnership (PPP). ONEE and its partner, InfraMaroc (CDG Capital Infrastructures group), secured finance for the project of €82 million (US$ 93 million) from a consortium of banks led by Banque Marocaine du Commerce Extérieur.
Construction has started on the facility which will use ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis to produce water for 500,000 people. Abengoa said the plant’s capacity may be doubled in future.
Abengoa has been present in Morocco since 1977 and has offices in Rabat and Casablanca. It has carried out major large-scale projects in the region, including the world’s first ISCC (Integrated Solar Combined Cycle) plant located in Ain Beni Mathar.