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In order to meet its industrial water needs, Ciments du Maroc’s Agadir plant used to consume drinking water taken from the city grid. To preserve this precious water in the semi-arid regional environment, in 2004 the Agadir plant launched a sea water desalination program aimed at meeting all its industrial water needs.
As the Agadir plant produces clinker and cement using the semi-dry process, its consumption of water can reach 1,000 m3/day. The factory is therefore regarded as the largest regional consumer (excluding agriculture).
The Agadir area is characterized by a semi-arid climate with low rainfall (average 223 mm/year), increasing pumping from aquifers for the needs of irrigated agriculture, and a growing water demand from urban and tourist development. Consequently, the area may face a likely water shortage in 2020. A great national debate on water is currently under way and among the expected recommendations the development of water production through desalination is being carefully considered.
Anticipating this, Ciments du Maroc launched its desalination program as a positive response to regional water scarcity.
The program aims to ensure a sustainable water supply for the cement factory, thereby preserving the drinking water supply for the city as well as creating a good example of meeting industrial demands in harmony with local needs.
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| Ciments du Maroc, Agadir plant: desalination unit | The project is a partnership with the Lyngaqua Afrique du Nord Company.The station began operations in May 2004 and has required an investment of Dirhams 14 million (approximately € 1.27 million). The Lyngaqua Afrique du Nord Company developed the process and put in place the desalination module which represents 60% of the investment. For the project engineering a Ciments du Maroc team was deployed and worked in close cooperation with Lyngaqua Afrique du Nord in all project phases and operational follow-up.
The desalination unit was initially planned to be fed by pumping through coastal drillings (providing more than 3,000 m3/day), using the limestone substratum as a natural filter of any suspended matter. This proved to be impracticable due to the non-permeability of the rock. The solution adopted was therefore to supply the station via a direct pumping from the sea (Open Intake), which involved technical teams from both engineering and implementation.
Bringing the unit into operation has made it possible for the Agadir plant to meet all its water requirements (including both industrial and green space use) from an inexhaustible source at a controlled cost, thus making its operation sustainable. At the same time the project saves the equivalent volume of supplied drinking water for the needs of the city, greatly strengthening the social role of the company. This project is regarded as a model that can be adopted in similar areas and has obtained the support of the whole community.
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