Morocco's OCP Group has received a total of $188 million in funding for the construction of three new desalination plants. This move is an important part of the Moroccan government's emergency plan for drinking water supply. The funds come from the African Development Bank, the Canada-African Development Bank Climate Fund, and the Clean Technology Fund supported by the World Bank.

The new desalination plant will have an annual production capacity of 110 million cubic meters, mainly used to meet the water needs of OCP Group's industrial and mining sites, and will provide up to 75 million cubic meters of drinking water to the towns of Safi and El Jadida and their surrounding areas, which is expected to benefit more than 1.5 million people.

Ashraf Tassim, Country Manager of the African Development Bank's Morocco Office, said the project aims to optimize water management in OCP Group's industrial activities through desalination. Karim Lotfi Senhadji, Financial Director of OCP Group, also emphasized the company's sustainable development goals, including achieving 100% renewable energy by 2027, self-sufficiency in green ammonia by 2032, and complete carbon neutrality by 2040.

In addition, eight new drinking water plants are planned to be built in the eastern region of Morocco to meet the drinking water needs of local residents by desalinating brackish and seawater. These plants are located in the eastern provinces of Morocco and are intended to increase the supply of drinking water to residents in the target provinces, which have been facing severe drought challenges for many years.

Crown Prince Moulay Hassan of Morocco also launched the construction of the Casablanca Desalination Plant, the largest of its kind in Africa, with an estimated annual production capacity of 300 million cubic meters and a service population of approximately 7.5 million. The project is one of Morocco's important initiatives to cope with the water crisis and is part of the national drinking water supply and irrigation plan. The construction of the plant is intended to meet the growing water demand in the Casablanca region and surrounding cities.

Faced with ongoing water resource challenges, the Moroccan government has taken a series of measures, including promoting desalination projects, optimizing water resource utilization, improving water use efficiency, and launching anti-waste water campaigns to ensure the sustainable use of water resources.Editor/Zhao E