The International Finance Corporation (IFC), a member of the World Bank Group, has provided €100 million ($108 million) in funding to Morocco’s OCP Group, a global leader in plant nutrition and phosphate-based fertilizers, for the construction of a cross-country water pipeline.
The project involves the development of a 219-kilometer water pipeline and pumping station. The pipeline will transport desalinated water from OCP Group’s existing and planned desalination plants in Jorf Lasfar, located on the Atlantic coast, to its production operations in Khouribga, central Morocco, according to a statement by the IFC.
Once completed, the pipeline will have a capacity of 80 million cubic meters per year (m3/year). This new infrastructure will ensure OCP has a sustainable and reliable water supply, which will in turn help conserve water resources for farmers, businesses, and consumers in the Khouribga region.
The pipeline is a key component of OCP Group’s broader water sustainability program, led by its subsidiary OCP Green Water. The initiative aims to supply the group with 100% non-conventional water sources by the end of 2024.
By 2027, OCP plans to produce 560 million m3/year of desalinated water and 60 million m3/year of treated wastewater through investments totaling $611 million. The pipeline is expected to be powered by renewable energy, enhancing access to sustainable water resources and strengthening resilience to climate change by 2030.
Since 2021, the IFC and OCP Group have collaborated to promote sustainable food systems in Africa, as well as to develop solar power plants and green fertilizer production. Over the past three fiscal years, IFC has invested and mobilized more than $1 billion to support sustainable economic growth in the region.