• The plant, which will be located in the region of Casablanca (Morocco), will have a capacity of 548,000 m3 per day, expandable to 822,000 m3, and will use reverse osmosis technology to meet the demand for drinking water and irrigation for some 5,000 hectares of land.

• Abengoa has submitted to the ONEE all the documentation required to obtain pre-qualification for the Casablanca-Settat desalination plant, in consortium with Engie.

Morocco: Abengoa is in the process of being pre-qualified to develop the largest desalination plant in Africa for ONEE (Office National de l’Electricité et de l’Eau Potable), with a capacity of 548,000 m3 per day, expandable to 822,000 m3, with reverse osmosis technology to meet the demand for drinking water and irrigation of some 5,000 hectares of land.

Abengoa, in consortium with Engie, one of the world’s leading energy companies, has submitted the documentation required to obtain pre-qualification for the Casablanca-Settat desalination plant. A total of six consortia have applied. The selection process is expected to culminate with the signing of the contract in the first half of next year.

The project has been conceived to be developed in the form of a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) and contemplates the sale of the water to ONEE for 30 years.

Among other benefits, this prequalification is the key to guaranteeing food and water supply in the Casablanca-Settat region, in response to the Moroccan government’s specific plan for this purpose. Moreover, the prequalified consortia must, at the bidding stage, include a fully renewable solution for the energy consumed, either through their own renewable development or by acquisition from a third party under a long-term contract. This solution, totally sustainable in the use of energy, is innovative, as it will be internalized in the final tariff offered. The tender will be awarded to the consortium offering the lowest integrated tariff.

Abengoa incorporates the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in all its actions and business strategy. That is why, if prequalified for this project and subsequently selected as the construction company, Abengoa would pay special attention to ensuring health and well-being (Goal 3), ensuring the availability of water and its proper management (Goal 6), adopting measures to mitigate and adapt to climate change (Goal 13) and preserving the life of terrestrial ecosystems (Goal 15), among others.

As per company officials, Abengoa continues to work to maintain its leading position in international desalination markets. It currently has five plants under construction and a total installed capacity of 1.8 million m3/day, spread over more than 30 desalination plants in 13 countries, which will be expanded to 4.4 million when the portfolio of 2.6 million under execution is completed, of which 610,000m3 are under Abengoa’s O&M in Morocco, Algeria and Ghana in 15 to 25 year contracts.

In Morocco, Abengoa announced this June that all contractual tests for the Agadir desalination plant have been successfully passed. This is the largest plant designed and conceived for combined potable and irrigation water use in the world, with a capacity of 275,000 m3/day and reverse osmosis technology. This milestone marks the beginning of the formalization of documents that will lead to the declaration of commercial operation of the plant, which has been producing desalinated water since the beginning of the year, meeting all quality standards and mitigating the effects of the water alarm suffered by the area.

Abengoa applies innovative technology solutions for sustainability in the infrastructure, energy and water sectors.

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