Algeria’s state-owned energy group Sonatrach has signed contracts to build three large seawater desalination plants in the country’s west, stepping up efforts to secure drinking water supplies as climate pressure and water stress intensify.
The contracts were signed on Monday in Algiers for facilities in the coastal provinces of Tlemcen, Chlef and Mostaganem, Sonatrach said in a statement. The projects form part of the first phase of a complementary national desalination programme ordered by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune.
Each plant will have a production capacity of 300,000 cubic metres of desalinated water per day, bringing their combined output to 900,000 cubic metres daily once fully operational, according to the group.
The new facilities will be built at Aïn Adjroud in Marsa Benmhidi, in Tlemcen province near the Moroccan border; at Dahra in El Marsa, Chlef province; and at Sidi Ladjel in El Khadra, in Mostaganem province.
The signing ceremony was attended by senior government officials, including Energy and Mines Minister Mohamed Arkab and Water Resources Minister Taha Derbal, alongside executives from Sonatrach, the Algerian Desalination Company (ADC) and national water utility Algérienne des Eaux (ADE).
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Algeria has accelerated investment in desalination as it seeks to reduce reliance on conventional water sources increasingly strained by drought, erratic rainfall and rising demand from a growing population.
“These structuring projects are part of a strategic vision aimed at strengthening national water security and meeting the population’s growing needs for drinking water,” Sonatrach said.
The three plants are a cornerstone of a broader national programme that includes the construction of six major desalination facilities across the country. Authorities aim to raise Algeria’s total desalinated seawater production capacity to 5.6 million cubic metres per day by 2030.
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Water scarcity has become a pressing challenge for Algeria, particularly in coastal urban centres and industrial zones, where demand has surged in recent years. Desalination is seen as a critical tool to ensure stable supplies while easing pressure on dams and groundwater reserves.
Oversight of the new projects will be handled by the ADC, a Sonatrach subsidiary specialising in desalination. Construction contracts have been awarded to three major national firms: Cosider Canalisation will build the Tlemcen plant; the National Company for Major Petroleum Works (ENGTP) will carry out the Chlef project; and the Algerian Company for the Realisation of Industrial Projects (SARPI) will construct the Mostaganem facility.
The choice of domestic contractors reflects the government’s push to promote local expertise and strengthen national industrial capacity in strategic sectors, officials said.
Beyond boosting water supply, the projects are expected to generate significant economic spillovers. Sonatrach said they would create numerous direct and indirect jobs during both construction and operational phases, while also supporting skills development and training in desalination technologies.
“These projects illustrate Sonatrach’s role as a corporate citizen committed to accelerating the transition towards sustainable water security,” the group said.
Algeria has already brought several large desalination plants online in recent years, helping to stabilise supply in major cities after periods of acute shortages that triggered public frustration.
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Officials say expanding desalination capacity is also vital for supporting long-term economic development, including industry, agriculture and tourism, particularly in coastal regions.
The latest contracts come amid broader efforts by the government to adapt infrastructure to climate risks. North Africa is among the regions most exposed to rising temperatures and declining rainfall, according to international climate assessments.
By scaling up desalination, Algeria aims to insulate its water system from climate shocks, ensure universal access to drinking water and reinforce the resilience of its territories.
“Accelerating the desalination programme is a strategic response to future challenges,” Sonatrach said, adding that water security is now a central pillar of national development planning.
While desalination is energy-intensive, Algeria’s authorities argue that the country’s hydrocarbon resources and industrial base give it a comparative advantage in deploying the technology at scale.
As the new plants move from contract signing to construction, they will test Algeria’s ability to deliver complex infrastructure projects on time and integrate them into a national water network under increasing strain.
