Video: With a production capacity of 275,000 cubic meters per day, the seawater desalination plant located in Inchaden, in the Chtouka Aït Baha province, continues to supply around 1.5 million residents of Agadir with drinking water. It also provides the water needed for irrigating over 15,000 hectares of farmland, making it the largest desalination plant in Morocco, Africa, and the Mediterranean region.
This ambitious project, resulting from a collaboration between the public and private sectors, leverages private sector expertise in the field. It is part of a joint initiative by the Water and Agriculture departments, with a total investment of approximately 4.4 billion dirhams, divided between 60% private financing and 40% public contribution. The plant features two water intake structures with 1,100-meter-long channels each and a 700-meter channel for large plankton filtration.
Lahcen Jabi, head of the agricultural production service at the Regional Agricultural Investment Office of the Souss-Massa region, emphasizes that this project, launched by King Mohammed VI in February 2020, is a strategic initiative in the field of water for the region. The plant began supplying irrigation water in June 2022, serving approximately 15,000 hectares of agricultural land.
In a statement to Le360, Jabi noted that the plant’s maximum capacity is 400,000 cubic meters per day. Currently, it produces 275,000 cubic meters per day, with an expansion planned by the end of 2024. The irrigation network spans about 500 kilometers, with 300 kilometers of connecting channels.
The interim director of the Regional Agricultural Investment Office also specified that around 200,000 cubic meters are allocated to farmland, while the other half is used for providing drinking water to Agadir residents.
This plant embodies the royal vision expressed in the latest royal speech on securing water resources for agriculture, highlighting the timely realization of this project. It has enabled the region, known for its fruit and vegetable exports, to maintain its position in both national and international markets, particularly in Europe and Africa.
Source: Le360
