Mohamed Bou Taba, General Director of the Algerian Energy Company, affiliated with the Sonatrach Group, announced Algeria's plans to establish six new seawater desalination plants using solar energy. Bou Taba stressed that this step comes within the framework of a new strategy that relies on renewable energy sources to operate desalination plants.

According to Boutaba, the total production capacity of these plants is expected to reach about 1.8 million cubic meters per day by 2025, and it is expected that they will begin operating between 2027 and 2028 within the framework of the “Second Supplementary Program for Seawater Desalination” project.

Algeria is currently seeking to implement the “First Supplementary Program for Seawater Desalination” project, which includes the construction of five new plants scheduled to begin operation in December. It is expected that the production capacity of these stations will reach about 1.5 million cubic meters per day. This will enhance the contribution of desalinated water to meeting drinking water needs from 18% to 42%.

Algeria expects to increase production capacity to reach 5.4 million cubic meters per day by 2028. This will contribute to solving the water crisis resulting from the scarcity of rain, while keeping the prices of desalinated water as they are and supporting it from the state, with Algeria’s oil and gas exports not being affected as a result. Using them to operate desalination plants, as is done now.

It is expected that the production of drinking water through desalination plants will provide additional quantities for agriculture, with the current reliance on dams and wells to provide drinking water by 82%, while the new plants will contribute to meeting 60% of the population’s drinking water needs.

The North African region has succeeded in such an experiment before. A team of Moroccan researchers, in cooperation with German researchers, previously relied on developing a system based on solar energy to desalinate and filter salty groundwater, after a joint planning and financing process between universities and ministries in both countries.