In order to alleviate the shortage of water resources in the province, the OCP group began in 2022, through its subsidiary OCP Green Water, the realization of the seawater desalination project in Safi as part of a agreement with the Ministry of the Interior.
This project has, in fact, made it possible to provide 40 million m3 of water per year, including 15 million m3 for the city, thus ensuring the progressive supply of Safi with water since August 2023, and the 100% satisfaction of its needs in February 2024.
By 2026, the volume of desalinated water in the city of Safi should reach 30 million m3 per year and 20 million cubic meters for industrial use, with a view to supplying the whole of the Marrakech-Safi region in the years to come.
This ambitious initiative, carried out in accordance with the High Directives of His Majesty King Mohammed VI relating to the use of unconventional water to meet the needs in this area, represents an important step in the integrated and effective management of available water resources in the face of related challenges. climate change, the environment and spatial justice. It will reduce pressure on water resources in the Oum Er Rbia basin.
The Safi seawater desalination plant is made up of two units, the first dedicated to the production of water for industrial use and the second to drinking water. It constitutes an important step in the process of exploitation of unconventional high-quality water resources, meeting international standards in terms of hygiene and safety conditions, in a context of climate change where traditional water resources are increasingly rare.
Under the terms of the concession contract between the OCP Group and the Ministry of the Interior, the right to desalinate sea water is granted to GREEN WATER, part of the OCP Group, to provide drinking water at competitive prices while using the latest technologies in this field, renewable energy and research and development.
The seawater desalination process at this plant, which was built at a total cost estimated at 2.8 billion dirhams, takes place in several stages, starting with the pumping of seawater from the source directly to the desalination unit, followed by pretreatment where the seawater passes through ceramic filters to remove large impurities, then an additional filtration stage using disc filters and of filters cartridges to get rid of fine impurities, before using reverse osmosis technology by pressurizing the water through special membranes that separate salts and minerals to obtain soft water that is remineralized to guarantee its balance and its suitability for human consumption, until drinking water is pumped into local distribution networks to be made available to the beneficiary population.
In a statement to MAP, Otmane Abousselham, Head of Operations at OCP Green Water, indicated that the seawater desalination station project in Safi was completed in record time by the OCP Group, thanks to its experience in carrying out large projects, particularly those linked to seawater desalination, and the availability of a set of infrastructures which allowed it to carry out the project in less than a year with help from Moroccan companies.
He added that this station will supply water to OCP’s industrial units and will meet 100% of the drinking water needs of the population of the city of Safi, taking into account the growing demand for this vital substance due to urban development and to the demographic growth of the oceanic metropolis.
The station is equipped with the latest technologies relating to seawater purification and desalination, as well as the latest energy recycling equipment, which helps reduce energy costs, he said, adding that the pumping process is supervised by a group of partners, a quality control department and laboratories accredited by the supervisory ministry.
In this regard, Mr. Abousselham, who urged all stakeholders and citizens to rationalize the consumption of drinking water and to use it responsibly and optimally, stressed that the seawater desalination station in Safi provides high quality drinking water in accordance with local and international standards, as proven by several design and analysis offices.
To respond to the challenges posed by the water problem, in accordance with the High Royal Guidelines, a series of strategic projects was launched as part of the National Drinking Water Supply and Irrigation Program (PNAEPI) for a period of execution ranging from 2020 to 2027 and an initial cost of 115 billion dirhams.
This program concerned, among other things, the construction of 9 new seawater desalination stations with a total capacity of 202 Mm3/year to secure the drinking water supply for the population of the cities of Agadir, Safi, Al Jadida, Al Hoceima, Laâyoune and the launch of work on 6 desalination stations for an overall capacity of 360 Mm3/year to mainly secure the water supply at the level of Casablanca, Marrakech, Sidi Ifni, Dakhla, Settat, Berrechid, Khouribga, Ben Guérir and Youssoufia.
In addition, a major new program of 8 seawater desalination stations with a total capacity of more than 1,130 million m3/year will be launched shortly to secure the supply of drinking and agricultural water, particularly at the regional level. and provinces of Oriental, Souss-Massa, Tangier, Rabat, Guelmim, Tan-Tan, Boujdour and Tarfaya.