Agadir – The National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water (ONEE) has launched and commissioned a series of infrastructure projects in Laayoune province, with investments exceeding MAD 1 billion ($106 million), reinforcing water security and improving electricity supply in the region.
The projects were unveiled on Wednesday as part of the celebrations marking Throne Day, under the supervision of Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra Wali and Laayoune governor Abdeslam Bekrate, alongside ONEE Director General Tarik Hamane.
The new infrastructure targets the strengthening of drinking water services in Laayoune city and nearby areas, including El Marsa, Foum El Oued, and Tarouma, while supporting the long-term reliability of desalination facilities.
The largest project involves the construction of a seawater intake system and pretreatment facilities for Laayoune’s desalination plants, with an estimated investment of MAD 850 million ($90.56 million). Financed through a partnership between ONEE, the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and the Ministry of Equipment and Water, the project is designed to secure the plants’ seawater supply.
The infrastructure will include an intake tower and a 2.25-kilometer seawater pipeline with a diameter of 1.8 meters, replacing the current reliance on coastal boreholes. The project will also upgrade pretreatment systems to adapt to the quality of seawater collected through the new intake, with completion expected by April 2028.
ONEE also inaugurated the rehabilitation of the fifth production unit at Laayoune’s desalination station, a MAD 53 million ($5.6 million) project that will improve the facility’s efficiency. The upgrade will increase the unit’s production capacity from 2,800 cubic meters per day to 5,300 cubic meters per day, while reducing energy consumption from 3.7 kWh per cubic meter to 2.7 kWh per cubic meter through the use of energy recovery technologies.
Another completed project concerns the installation of a 20-kilometer underground medium-voltage power line connecting the Foum El Oued high/medium-voltage substation to secure electricity supply for coastal boreholes feeding the desalination plants. The project represents an investment of MAD 26 million ($2.77 million).
During the visit, ONEE also presented the progress of two ongoing projects. The first involves the construction of a new 40 MVA high/medium-voltage substation, valued at MAD 36 million ($3.8 million), which has reached 60% completion and is expected to enter service in December 2026.
The second project focuses on reinforcing drinking water transport capacity between Foum El Oued and Laayoune. The MAD 85 million ($9 million) initiative includes the construction of a 21-kilometer ductile iron pipeline connecting the Carrefour pumping station to the Al Wahda reservoirs, as well as upgrades to the pumping station.
