Spain's Abengoa has been chosen by the Moroccan National Electricity and Drinking Water Office (ONEE) to construct a new desalination plant in Agadir, Morocco. The project will draw on Abengoa's technological capabilities, based on a desalination method using a water ultrafiltration pre-treatment that will optimize the advanced reverse osmosis process. It will be Morocco's largest capacity desalination plant.

Abengoa will be responsible for the design, technology and construction of the plant, as well as its subsequent maintenance and operation for a 20 year period. Abengoa's project in Morocco will require a total investment of €82 million. The plant will supply 100,000 m3 of drinking water every day to the inhabitants of Greater Agadir, contributing to the major development taking place in this region, especially in the tourism, agrifood and industrial sectors.

The Agadir desalination project is part of Abengoa's strategic plan to solve supply problems in those parts of the world that are most affected by water shortages, such as North Africa. This project will increase Abengoa's total desalination capacity to nearly 1,400 M m3/day.

Abengoa has been present in Morocco since 1977 and has offices in the cities of Rabat and Casablanca. It has carried out major large-scale projects in the region, such as the world's first ISCC (Integrated Solar Combined Cycle) plant located in Ain Beni Mathar.

This latest contract will consolidate Abengoa's commitment to R&D and to developing innovative and sustainable technologies applied to global problems, such as water shortages. It is also extending its leadership position in the water market through other plants constructed in Latin America, USA, the Arab Emirates, Algeria, Ghana, China, India and Spain.