Algerian Water Utility and AEC Sign Commercial Water Contracts to Boost Water Security

ALGIERS — Algérienne des Eaux (ADE) and the Algerian Desalination Company (AEC), a subsidiary of state energy group Sonatrach, signed commercial water purchase and sale contracts on Thursday in Algiers to frame operations between desalination production and national distribution.

The signing ceremony took place at the Ministry of Hydrocarbons headquarters, supervised by the Secretaries-General of the Ministries of Hydrocarbons and Finance, alongside the Inspector General of the Ministry of Water Resources and senior Sonatrach executives.

The agreements were signed by ADE's Director General and the board chairs of five major seawater desalination facilities located in El Tarf, Bejaia, Boumerdes, Tipaza, and Oran. These infrastructure projects were completed under President Abdelmadjid Tebboune's second supplementary desalination program and entered service in early 2025.

These commercial contracts aim to ensure operational consistency, preserve technical readiness, and safeguard public infrastructure investments, guaranteeing uninterrupted public water service across the country.

This step reflects ongoing government efforts to reinforce national water security by streamlining inter-institutional coordination between desalination operators and distribution networks.

Wissem Chergui