Morocco to Source 60% of Water from Desalination by 2030

Morocco plans to secure 60 percent of its drinking water supply from desalinated seawater by 2030, up from the current 25 percent, as the country accelerates investment in renewable-powered desalination to counter shrinking rainfall, depleted reservoirs and groundwater, and rising climate pressures.

In remarks to international media during the World Water Congress in Marrakech, Morocco’s Minister of Equipment and Water, Nizar Baraka, said the country aims to produce 1.7 billion cubic meters of desalinated water annually by 2030.

This target will be achieved through plants already under construction and new projects set to enter tendering from next year.

One of the largest upcoming developments is a major desalination plant near Tiznit, south of Rabat, valued at around $1 billion. With a planned capacity of 350 million cubic meters, it will supply both urban centers and agricultural zones. Additional projects are planned in Nador, Tangier and Rabat in partnership with French group Veolia, as well as a facility in Tan-Tan linked to the planned port for exporting green hydrogen and ammonia.

Morocco currently operates 17 desalination plants producing 345 million cubic meters annually. Four new plants with a combined capacity of 540 million cubic meters are under construction and expected to be completed by 2027, including a major installation in Casablanca.

Baraka stressed that all new facilities will run on renewable energy. He also highlighted efforts to curb water losses from evaporation, which can reach 30 percent in some regions. Innovations include floating solar panels on reservoirs, a pilot initiative set to expand across dams in the south and highlands.

Morocco faces a national water deficit of 58 percent, while reservoir filling levels recently dropped to 30.8 percent. The country loses nearly 650 million cubic meters of water annually to evaporation, compounded by a prolonged decline in rainfall.

According to official data, Morocco has built 17 desalination plants producing roughly 350 million cubic meters per year.

Four more projects are under development with a combined capacity of 567 million cubic meters annually, and 11 additional plants are planned by 2030 to reach the target output of 1.7 billion cubic meters.