RABAT, Nov. 9 (Xinhua) -- Morocco will set up a new seawater desalination factory in the southern city of Chtouka to meet increasing demand for drinking water, local media reported on Thursday.
The project, which will serve the southern region on the kingdom, will be built with nearly 400 million U.S. dollars, the financial daily L'Economiste pointed out.
The project will be implemented by partnership between the Moroccan government and private operators and will be ready by 2020, the same source noted.
The factory will also serve to support local agriculture, which has been affected by recent drought, and whose products are being exported to Europe and Russia.
Morocco has revealed recently that it is planning to set up another factory for seawater desalination, which will supply water to the northeastern provinces of Al Hoceima and Nador.
Morocco is suffering from recurrent drought. To ensure the country's water security, the Moroccan government worked in 2015 a National Water Plan which aims at providing universal access to drinking water, improving the output of drinking water supply networks and water use efficiency.
It also seeks to enhance water storage, boost desalination projects, encourage the reuse of treated wastewater, and the possibility of transferring water from areas having excess to those suffering shortage.
