South Korean LG Chem water purification systems chosen for desalination project in Morocco

South Korea LG Chem Ltd. has been selected to provide a water purification process for a desalination project to be carried out by Moroccan phosphate giant OCP Group.

Under the deal, LG Chem will supply some 18,000 reverse osmosis (RO) membranes which will be used to desalinate 246,000 m3 of water a day at Jorf Lasfar industrial complex, said the Korean company in a statement.

Reverse osmosis (RO) is used to remove salt and other substances from water through a semi-permeable membrane. Unlike the conventional method which evaporates water using heat, RO membranes can filter out water molecules without the use of heat. LG Chem said its RO membrane has a salt removal rate of 99.89 percent.

The Jorf Lasfar complex produces 4 million tons of phosphate and more than 10 million tons of fertilizers a year. Desalinated water is required for the production of fertilizers and for the 1.5 million inhabitants living in Safi and El Jadida near the complex.

The OCP group has pledged to provide the two neighboring cities with potable water through desalination of seawater. The water supply is expected to increase to 15 million m³ per year for Safi and 32 million m³ for El Jalida over 2024 and 2025. The volumes would jump further respectively to 30 million m³ for Safi and 45 million m³ for El Jalida, in 2026.

To mitigate the impact of climate change, Morocco has adopted a series of measures to address the issue of drought and lack of rainfalls which have affected both drinking and irrigation water assets.