HIBAPRESS from Jorf Lasfar
Along the Atlantic coast, not far from El Jadida, stands a huge industrial facility that at first glance looks like a vibrant technological cell, giant pipes, tanks, pumping stations, and precise systems, all working in silence to achieve one goal, to convert seawater into a vital resource that redraws the map of water security in Morocco.
It is the Jorf Lasfar seawater desalination plant, supervised by the company OCP Green Water, the water arm of the Office Chérifien des Phosphates, which has quickly become one of the largest and most important water desalination projects in Africa. In a context characterized by successive years of drought and increased pressure on traditional water resources, Morocco has chosen to accelerate the pace of investment in non-traditional solutions, and here the Jorf Lasfar plant emerges as a practical model for this transformation. The plant, which entered the actual operation phase since 2023, is no longer just an industrial project, but has become a fundamental pillar within the national strategy to enhance water sovereignty, by reducing reliance on dams and water aquifers. What distinguishes this plant is not only its size, but also its multiple functions, as it provides industrial water to the phosphate complex in Jorf Lasfar, and at the same time secures an important part of the population’s drinking water needs. The current production capacity of this vital facility reaches about 250 million cubic meters per year, making it the largest plant of its kind in Morocco. These quantities are distributed in a studied manner, a percentage of which is allocated to supply the city of El Jadida and the surrounding areas with drinking water, while another percentage is directed to secure more than 60 million cubic meters per year for the benefit of southern Casablanca, as well as to ensure water independence for the phosphate industrial complex, which has become 100 percent dependent on water produced through desalination in this plant to secure its industrial water needs. Behind this project lies a broader vision led by OCP Green Water, based on three interconnected axes: seawater desalination, the reuse of wastewater, and reliance on renewable energy. The company is not only content with producing water, but is working to build an integrated system for sustainable water resource management, including the recycling and valorization of used water. The Jorf Lasfar plant relies on reverse osmosis technology, which is one of the most advanced technologies in the field of water desalination, where seawater is pressed through fine membranes to separate the salts. But what gives the project its special dimension is the complete reliance on Moroccan expertise, as an important part of the project was completed in record time and with local expertise, and systems for energy recovery were integrated, allowing to cover an important part of the energy consumption of the process, which enhances the environmental dimension of the project. Investments did not stop at the borders of the plant, but also included an advanced infrastructure for transporting desalinated water, most notably pipelines that extend for tens of kilometers, advanced pumping stations, and direct links to dams and distribution centers. Among the remarkable projects is the Jorf Lasfar-Khouribga pipeline, which extends for more than 200 kilometers, and aims to supply inland areas with water, whether for industrial use or for drinking. This extension reflects the transformation of the project from a local plant to a national network for water redistribution. Away from numbers and techniques, the impact of the project is directly reflected in the lives of citizens, as cities such as El Jadida and southern Casablanca have begun to rely increasingly on the water produced in the Jorf Lasfar seawater desalination plant, which has contributed to reducing pressure on traditional resources and ensuring the continuity of water supply and improving water security in areas experiencing increasing population pressure. In fact, some areas have come to rely heavily on this water, in a transformation that reflects a deep change in the model of water resource management. The ambitions, according to the company’s officials, do not stop at this point, as the OCP group, through its water branch OCP GREEN WATER, seeks to reach a total capacity of 560 million cubic meters per year by 2027, distributed among several sites, including Jorf Lasfar and Safi. It also aims to develop new projects that integrate water and green energy, within the framework of a comprehensive vision for environmental transition. More details regarding this plant can be found in the following video:
