SONATRACH has overseen the signing of three contracts for the construction of new seawater desalination plants in the wilayas of Tlemcen, Chlef and Mostaganem, as part of Algeria’s national strategy to strengthen water security.
The desalination facilities will be built in Ain Adjroud, in the municipality of Marsa Benmhidi (Tlemcen); Dahra, in the municipality of El Marsa (Chlef); and Sidi Ladjel, in the municipality of El Khadra (Mostaganem).
The ceremony also included the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Algerian Desalination Company and Algérienne des Eaux, aimed at strengthening cooperation in the water sector.
Each of the three desalination plants will have a production capacity of 300,000 cubic metres per day upon completion. The projects form part of the first phase of an additional national programme launched by the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, which includes the construction of six large-scale seawater desalination plants across the country.
Each of the three desalination plants will have a production capacity of 300,000 cubic metres per day upon completion
The broader programme aims to respond to growing demand for drinking water while supporting Algeria’s objective of increasing national desalinated seawater production to 5.6 million cubic metres per day by 2030. This target is intended to enhance long-term water security and support social and economic development in multiple wilayas.
The Algerian Desalination Company, a subsidiary of the SONATRACH Group, will oversee the construction of the three plants. The works have been awarded to experienced national companies: Cosider Canalisation will be responsible for the plant in Tlemcen, the National Company for Major Petroleum Works will construct the facility in Chlef, and the Algerian Industrial Projects Company will build the plant in Mostaganem.
According to SONATRACH, the projects are expected to generate a significant number of direct and indirect jobs during both construction and operational phases. They will also support training initiatives and contribute to the development of national expertise in seawater desalination, reinforcing the group’s role in advancing sustainable water infrastructure in Algeria.
