Five seawater desalination stations, each with a production capacity of 300,000 m3 of water / day, will be launched nationwide starting from “next May”, announced on Saturday from Tipasa, the Minister of Energy and Mines, Mohamed Arkab.
The Algerian Energy Company (AEC) belonging to the Sonatrach group will be responsible for the construction of the five seawater desalination stations “during the second half of 2022, before the launch of the Fouka 2 station project, with a production capacity of 300,000 m3, during the first week of next May”, Mr. Arkab told the press, who was accompanied by the Minister of Water Resources and Water Security, Karim Hasni.
The Minister underlined, in this regard, the commitment made by the wali of Tipasa, Aboubakr Seddik Boucetta, to facilitate all the installation procedures of the production company, “especially since there is no land problem”, he added, specifying that the launch of the rest of the projects will continue in Oran, Boumerdes, El Tarf and Bejaïa during the second half of the current year.
Assuring that the Algerian Energy Company is currently making the final touches for the launch of the construction sites of these five “mega projects, endowed with strategic importance for the country”, Mohamed Arkab insisted, before the officials of the AEC, on the imperative, for the latter, to “respect the new standards, in the execution of their tasks, while working to find technical solutions to avoid production stoppages, during maintenance work”.
The Minister of Water Resources and Water Security revealed, for his part, that the water reserve currently available “is sufficient to ensure water security at the national level, thanks in particular to the significant rainfall recorded which will add to the water produced by seawater desalination plants, likely to ensure a quiet summer”.
“Algeria has adopted a strategy for the construction of seawater desalination stations in order to guarantee water production and ensure its autonomy thanks to water from dams,” added the minister, noting that these five stations Future projects will increase the capacity to mobilize desalinated seawater to 42%, compared to only 17% currently.
Mr. Hasni also indicated a forecast to increase this rate (42%) to no less than 60% in the future, thanks to the realization of a 2nd additional program involving the construction of six other stations.
Algeria currently has 14 operational seawater desalination stations, the number of which will be increased to 19, after the entry into operation of the scheduled projects, from 2024. A number expected to increase after the realization of the 2nd program of the six other stations, the future commissioning of which will significantly reduce dependence on water from dams and groundwater, is expected.
The Ministers of Energy and Water Resources, accompanied by the Wali of Tipasa, proceeded, in Bou Ismail, with the commissioning of a one-piece seawater desalination station with a production capacity of 10,000 m3/d. The station benefited from a rehabilitation operation which made it possible to double its production, which was no more than 5,000 m3/d.
The ministerial delegation also agreed, during its visit to the seawater desalination station of Fouka, to allocate, during this summer, an additional quota of 4000 m3, for the benefit of the wilaya of Tipasa, which will allow the mobilization of nearly 207,000 m3, i.e. a production approaching the daily needs of the wilaya, estimated at 245,000 m3 of water.
ENTV 02/05/2022
