Chlef, Algeria – Sonatrach, the Algerian national oil and gas company, has officially launched the construction of a major seawater desalination plant in Dhahra, Chlef province. The project, overseen by Sonatrach CEO Noureddine Daoudi, marks a significant step in Algeria’s efforts to bolster its water security.
The inauguration ceremony was attended by the Governor of Chlef, Ibrahim Ghmired, the CEO of Algerian Water Desalination Company (ADE), Lahcen Bada, and the CEO of the National Company of Major Petroleum Works (ENGTP), Maamri Benyoucef, along with representatives from the local council, parliament, and civil and security authorities.
This desalination plant is part of the second supplementary national program approved by President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, aimed at strengthening water security through the construction of large-scale desalination plants in Chlef, Mostaganem, and Tlemcen. Each plant will have a production capacity of 300,000 cubic meters per day.
The Dhahra plant will ensure a sustainable supply of drinking water to over three million citizens across the provinces of Chlef, Medea, Ain Defla, and Tissemsilt, covering a range of 150 to 250 kilometers. The project has been entrusted to ENGTP, under the supervision of ADE, both subsidiaries of Sonatrach, underscoring the group’s commitment to supporting vital social and economic projects.
The project will also create a significant number of jobs during the construction and operation phases, in addition to supporting training programs and developing national expertise in the field of desalination.
Sonatrach stated that the launch of the Dhahra desalination plant is a crucial step in a national vision to increase desalinated water production to 5.6 million cubic meters per day by 2030. This ambitious goal aims to enhance sustainable water security and meet the social and economic development needs across various regions of the country. The project reflects Sonatrach’s firm commitment to accelerating the transition towards sustainable water security and building infrastructure capable of facing future challenges.
