Morocco’s National Office for Electricity and Potable Water (ONEE) is studying an expansion of Laayoune’s seawater desalination plant to meet growing water demand in the city and surrounding areas. The project would add a third production unit with capacity of up to 300 liters per second, or around 26,000 cubic meters a day, using reverse osmosis technology.
The expansion would raise the plant’s total capacity from 600 to about 900 liters per second, an increase of roughly 50%. ONEE will determine the project’s final size based on projected future water needs, including demand during peak periods, and is also assessing whether the plant’s existing seawater intake and distribution systems can handle the additional output.
The additional water would supply Laayoune and nearby areas including El Marsa, Foum El Oued and the fishing village of Tarouma, where demand is expected to keep rising as the area’s port, phosphate industry, energy sector and other economic activities expand.
Alongside the new production unit, the project would include work on water pipelines, pumping stations, storage tanks, electrical systems and remote monitoring equipment. Engineers will need to design the facility to withstand the region’s high temperatures, saline seawater and strong sand-bearing winds, while guarding against corrosion, rust and sand-related blockages.
The project remains at the study stage, with no construction date or investment cost yet announced.
