OCP Group will get $108M mortgage to fight Morocco’s water disaster

IFC is disbursing a $108 million mortgage to fertilizer maker OCP Group geared toward funding a 219Km lengthy water distribution venture in Morocco.
This financing will assist maintain OCP Group’s phosphate plant and supply water to farmers, households, and companies within the nation.
The brand new pipeline is anticipated to be powered solely by renewable vitality by 2030.

A brand new initiative seeks to minimize the biting water disaster in Morocco whereas on the similar time enhancing plans to deal with meals insecurity in Africa. The World Financial institution’s personal lending arm, the Worldwide Finance Company (IFC) is disbursing $108 million mortgage to the OCP Group to remodel water administration in Morocco and improve meals safety tasks within the nation.

The OCP Group is a pioneer in plant vitamin and the manufacturing and utilization of phosphate-based fertilizers.

In line with an replace from the IFC, the partnership will search to deal with two of essentially the most urgent points within the area—water shortage in Morocco and meals insecurity throughout Africa.

The lender has superior $108 million mortgage OCP Group geared toward funding a significant water infrastructure venture in Morocco. Moreover, the funding will assist maintain OCP Group’s fertilizer manufacturing and likewise present important water assets to native farmers, households, and companies within the North African nation.

Harnessed optimally, this venture is poised to have far-reaching impacts, fostering resilience and financial development in a water-stressed area.

219Km water pipeline: A lifeline for Morocco

Central to the initiative is the development of a 219-kilometer water pipeline and a pumping station that can transport desalinated water from OCP Group’s desalination crops in Jorf Lasfar, on the Atlantic coast, to the corporate’s manufacturing amenities in Khouribga, in central Morocco. The venture, which is already properly underway, can have a capability of 80 million cubic meters of water yearly—sufficient to fill over 32,000 Olympic-sized swimming swimming pools.

Morocco has been grappling with extreme water stress, a problem that threatens not solely the nation’s agricultural sector but in addition its financial stability. The pipeline venture is seen as a game-changer, offering OCP with a dependable supply of desalinated water, lowering its reliance on conventional water sources, and releasing up water for native communities and agricultural use.

Citing the importance of this venture, Mostafa Terrab, Chairman and CEO of OCP Group, stated, “We’re grateful for IFC’s help in addressing one of the crucial urgent challenges of our time – water shortage. By securing a sustainable water provide, we’re enabling the expansion of our operations whereas offering important assets to native communities. This initiative aligns completely with our imaginative and prescient of fostering resilience and meals safety throughout Africa.”

OCP Group’s sustainable resolution for water shortage

The water pipeline is only one a part of OCP Group’s broader water program, spearheaded by its subsidiary, OCP Inexperienced Water. This system is devoted to making sure that OCP Group’s water wants are met by way of one hundred pc non-conventional water sources by the top of 2024. This contains investments in desalination and wastewater remedy, with the objective of reaching a manufacturing capability of 560 million cubic meters of desalinated water and 60 million cubic meters of handled wastewater by 2027.

This formidable plan is a part of Morocco’s broader dedication to sustainable growth and local weather resilience. The brand new pipeline, anticipated to be powered solely by renewable vitality by 2030, is not going to solely safe water for OCP’s operations but in addition present extra capability for native communities, serving to them stand up to the impacts of local weather change.

Makhtar Diop, IFC’s Managing Director, said, “Water shortage is a significant impediment to financial growth in elements of Africa. This progressive venture demonstrates how companies can develop options to complicated growth challenges, with tangible impacts on communities. By supporting OCP’s pipeline, we aren’t solely addressing its water wants but in addition contributing to meals safety and local weather resilience throughout Africa.”

Learn additionally: Local weather change disaster calls for ladies agro-empowerment

Linking water to meals safety in Africa

The implications of this venture can prolong far past Morocco. OCP Group is among the world’s largest exporters of phosphate-based fertilizers. The corporate performs a essential function in supporting meals manufacturing in Africa.

By securing a sustainable water provide, OCP Group can proceed to provide fertilizers which are important for high-value crop manufacturing throughout the continent.

In Africa, the place meals insecurity stays an enormous problem, entry to fertilizers is essential. OCP Group’s efforts to stabilize its manufacturing by way of progressive water administration will assist make sure that African farmers can entry the farm enter they should increase crop yields and meals manufacturing. This, in flip, will assist help livelihoods and strengthen meals safety throughout the area.

“Along with IFC, we’re paving the best way for a sustainable and affluent future. By securing water for our operations, we’re contributing to Africa’s meals safety, fostering resilience, and selling inclusive financial development,” famous Mostafa Terrab.

Learn additionally: “Misplaced Crops” Present Distinctive Alternative For Meals Safety in Africa

A broader imaginative and prescient for sustainable growth

The IFC-OCP partnership is carefully aligned with each organizations’ sustainability objectives. For IFC, this venture is a part of a broader technique to advertise inexperienced and inclusive development in Morocco and throughout Africa. The funding in water infrastructure helps local weather resilience and is anticipated to have long-term advantages for native communities, companies, and the area’s agricultural trade.

For OCP Group, the venture is a key part of its sustainability technique, which incorporates investments in renewable vitality, gender equality, and inexperienced fertilizer manufacturing. Since 2021, IFC and OCP Group have collaborated on numerous initiatives geared toward growing sustainable meals programs in Africa, constructing photo voltaic crops, and selling gender equality inside OCP’s workforce.

This joint effort displays a shared perception within the energy of partnerships to deal with complicated world challenges. As Makhtar Diop famous, “This venture is aligned with IFC’s local weather priorities and helps Morocco’s imaginative and prescient for sustainable growth. By working collectively, we’re creating options that construct resilience and promote prosperity within the area.”

Water, meals, and local weather resilience

As building on the pipeline nears completion, there’s rising optimism about its potential to deal with Morocco’s water disaster and contribute to meals safety throughout Africa. As soon as operational, the pipeline is not going to solely help OCP Group’s fertilizer manufacturing but in addition present a lifeline to native communities, serving to them navigate the challenges of water shortage and local weather change.

IFC-OCP Group partnership units a robust instance of how companies can drive significant change by growing progressive options to urgent world challenges. As Africa continues to face the twin threats of water shortage and meals insecurity, the success of tasks like this one can be essential in constructing a extra resilient and affluent future for all.