Full steam ahead for Morocco’s massive desalination plant
Share Article
Full steam ahead for Morocco’s massive desalination plant
The Agadir desalination plant in Morocco will be expanded to 400,000 m³/day.
Dubai based energy company AMEA Power has entered the second phase of Morocco’s Agadir desalination project.
Agadir will be powered by AMEA Power’s 150 MW wind project in Laayoune, about 500km south of Agadir.
Once operational, Agadir will become the company’s first water desalination plant in North Africa.
Upon completion of the expansion, the Agadir desalination plant will reach a total capacity of 400,000 m³/day, making it one of the largest desalination facilities in Africa.
The first phase of the Agadir plant was developed and is owned by Spanish based water and energy management company Cox.
Entering the second phase of development
The second phase will be delivered through a joint venture, with AMEA Power joining the project and supplying renewable energy through its wind farm in Laayoune.
This project is the first to be executed further to the strategic joint venture agreement signed in May 2025 between AMEA Power and Cox.
It reflects the shared ambition of both companies to deliver integrated infrastructure projects where access to water and energy are deeply interconnected.
The total investment for the second phase of the desalination project and the associated wind power facility is expected to exceed €250 million. The desalination expansion is expected to be operational end of 2026, with the wind farm coming online in 2027.
Addressing water and energy challenges
According to Hussain Al Nowais, Chairman of AMEA Power, AMEA’s entry into the second phase of the Agadir desalination project in Morocco, under the Water Alliance Ventures platform, reflects the company’s ambition to address both water and energy challenges through integrated solutions.
Morocco operates 17 seawater desalination plants, with four additional plants under construction, and plans to build nine more by 2030, brining the total to about 30 facilities.
The country face worsening drought, depleted traditional water sources, and rising demand from expanding cities and agriculture. Desalination is part of a deliberate, multi-pronged strategy to secure water access.
Saudi Arabia is the country with the most seawater desalination plants. The country’s Saline Water Conversion Corporation operates 30 desalination plants across Saudi Arabia.
Image: The Agadir desalination plant in Morocco is entering its second phase. Image credit: AMEA
To read more about energy and water management, visit the WhyAfrica website.
WhyAfrica specialises in the sustainable use and responsible development of Africa’s natural resources, including (amongst others) its hydrocarbons, water, sunlight, biodiversity and wind resources.
Africa is our business, and we want it to be yours too.
Full steam ahead for Morocco’s massive desalination plant
