MOROCCO: OCP obtains $18 million from CACF for water desalination in El Jadida and Safi
The Canada-African Development Bank Climate Fund (CACF) has just validated an $18 million loan in favor of the Office Cherifien des Phosphates (OCP group). This envelope will support the construction of new seawater desalination stations in the provinces of El Jadida and Safi, with a view to improving the supply of drinking water in the face of drought.
Funding of 18 million dollars is now available to strengthen drinking water supply to El Jadida and Safi in Morocco, from the desalination of sea water. The Cherifian Phosphate Office (OCP group) which will build new desalination stations in these provinces have just obtained this funding from the Canada-African Development Bank Climate Fund (CACF), created to support projects to combat climate change in Africa.
This concessional loan is part of an overall envelope of $36.3 million approved on November 7, 2023 by the CACF for two climate resilience projects. The second project concerns the rehabilitation and expansion of the Autonomous Port of Cotonou in Benin for more sustainable practices in port operations.
The funding granted to OCP will make it possible to set up a desalination capacity of 75 million m 3 of sea water per year to supply the populations. Drinking water will be sold to the Autonomous Intercommunal Authority for the distribution of water, electricity and management of the liquid sanitation network in the provinces of El Jadida and Sidi Bennour (Radeej), as well as to the Autonomous Authority Safi intercommunal water and electricity distribution company (Radees).
Thus, OCP will produce 10 million m 3 for Radees and 30 million m 3 for Radeej before the end of 2023. Between 2024 and 2025, the volume intended for Radees will reach 15 million m 3 per year and 32 million m 3 per year for Radeej. And from 2026, these volumes will respectively reach 30 million m3 per year for Radees and 45 million m3 for Radeej. The group obtained this concession on July 5, 2023. The desalination of seawater will be carried out by its subsidiary OCP Green Water .
Furthermore, 35 million m3 of drinking water will be produced per year to supply OCP industries, for a total of 110 million m3 per year. The work is being carried out as part of the phosphate fertilizer producer’s 2023-2027 “Green Investment Program”. This program, worth 130 billion Moroccan dirhams (11.6 billion euros), is based on the financing of projects focused on water, renewable energies and agroecology in order to limit the environmental impact of mining sites. of OCP located in Benguérir, Boucraâ-Laâyoune and Youssoufia in Morocco.
