National desalination agency the Algerian Desalination Company (ADC) is looking for international partners to establish a membrane manufacturing base in the country in order to anchor the technology in the national economy and start exporting its knowhow in Africa.
Algeria has by far the largest installed desalination capacity on the continent – and its second-largest projected capacity in 2030 behind Morocco – and ADC’s chief executive, Lahcène Bada, told GWI it wanted to capitalise on the long track record.
Installed and projected desalination capacity in Africa
Algeria has pioneered the use of desalination at scale in Africa, creating a significant home market for membranes. With the growing adoption of the technology across the continent too, there will be more business opportunities elsewhere.
Source: DesalData
“We have been doing desalination for more than 20 years and we want to do more, for us and for Africa,” he said. “We want to develop the supply chain locally, especially membranes, to service our plants but also those of neighbouring countries like Tunisia, Libya, Egypt or Senegal.”
Bada explained that there were advantages about locating manufacturing in Algeria, namely the lower cost of energy, custom-free access to the African market and a large captive local market. “We want serious partners with a win-win mentality,” he said.
The move cements Algeria’s desire to do more for itself and on its own terms: last month, ENGTP, an Algerian EPC contractor appointed by ADC, issued a tender for the Cap Colombi plant following the same procurement model used for the five plants procured in 2022/2023, whereby local contractors do the EPC and marine works while international partners’ involvement is restricted to engineering.
The model didn’t delight international contractors, but the plants were built in record time (26 months) and the Cap Blanc plant received a distinction at the Global Water Awards last month.
Bada explained that tenders for the next two plants, in the western wilayas of Mostaganem and Tlemcem, should come out in the next few months. The last three projects, located in the eastern wilayas of Tizi Ouzou, Jijel, and Skikda, will be tendered in 2027 after government approval. The projects will follow a similarly high spec to the previous wave, with a price tag of just over $400 million per plant.
ADC is also considering how to export its procurement and operational expertise, notably in Mauritania, which it visited recently and where at least one Algerian bank (Algerian banks have financed all the country’s desalination plants) has operations, and Angola (Angolan president João Lourenço visited ADC’s installations during a state visit in May).
In other developments, Algeria blocked the transfer of GS Inima’s Algerian assets to Taqa following the company’s acquisition of the Spanish water specialist: the move affects two plants, Mostaganem and Cap Djinet. ADC indicated that the authorities were currently assessing their options.