Clifford Chance Advised On Africa’s Largest Seawater Desalination Project In Casablanca
Clifford Chance Advised On Africa’s Largest Seawater Desalination Project In Casablanca
Clifford Chance has advised Acciona Agua, Green of Africa, and Afriquia Gaz as sponsors on the successful award and financing of the Casablanca Seawater Desalination Project, marking a significant milestone as Africa’s largest desalination facility and the world’s largest desalination plant to be powered entirely by renewable energy. The total investment in the project amounts to €613 million, structured as a public-private partnership (PPP) with Morocco’s National Office of Electricity and Drinking Water. This transformative infrastructure project will supply drinking water across the Casablanca-Settat region, enhancing water security in one of the country’s most densely populated areas.
The project will be developed in two phases, with the first phase delivering a production capacity of 559,000 cubic metres per day and an additional 279,500 cubic metres per day to be added in the second phase. Located in Sidi Rahal in the Greater Casablanca area, the project is set to significantly contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6, which focuses on clean water and sanitation. In a groundbreaking achievement, the desalination unit’s full energy needs will be met through renewable wind energy, supplied under a power purchase agreement (PPA) with a Moroccan renewable energy producer. Clifford Chance also advised lenders on the associated wind energy project, reflecting the firm’s multi-sectoral capability in executing complex infrastructure and energy mandates.
The project’s financing structure includes support from multiple financial institutions, including Fondo para la Internacionalización de la Empresa (FIEM) through ICO, Société Générale with the backing of Cesce under its Green Investment Policy, as well as Attijariwafa Bank, Banque Centrale Populaire, Bank of Africa, Caixa, and COFIDES.
The Clifford Chance team was led by Ouns Lemseffer (Partner) and included lawyers from the firm’s Casablanca, London, and Madrid offices. From London, Sandy Hall (Partner) and Irina Steinberg (Director) contributed their expertise. The Madrid office was represented by Eugenio Fernández-Rico (Partner), Eduardo Sánchez Roldán (Counsel), and María González Rubio (Associate). The Casablanca office team included Youssef Tork (Associate), Yasmine Hitane (Associate), and Mounia Beddari (Associate).
This landmark desalination project not only supports Morocco’s water resilience agenda but also sets a global benchmark for sustainable infrastructure powered entirely by clean energy.
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