Morocco to Build $1.5 Billion Waste-to-Energy Plant in Casablanca

A Swiss-Japanese-led consortium has signed a concession agreement to build a $1.5 billion (approximately KSh 194 billion) waste-to-energy plant in Casablanca, Morocco's largest city, with construction expected to begin before the end of 2026.

The facility, led by waste management firm Kanadevia Inova, will become only the second large-scale waste-to-energy plant in Africa once completed, according to details of the agreement signed with Casablanca's city government.

The consortium also includes Moroccan energy company Nareva and Japan's Itochu Corporation, bringing together financing, engineering and energy market expertise for the project.

Once operational, the plant is expected to process about 1.5 million metric tons of waste annually while generating roughly 115 megawatts of electricity, enough to supply power to nearly one million people.

Electricity generation at the facility will draw from a mix of waste incineration, solar power and landfill gas, combining several renewable energy sources within a single plant.

The project is designed to address long-standing environmental problems at the nearby Mediouna landfill, Morocco's largest, which has for decades produced foul odours and pollution affecting surrounding farmland.

Decomposing waste at the site has also released methane, a potent greenhouse gas, over an extended period, according to details shared by the developers.

Construction is expected to begin once debt and equity financing are fully secured, with Kanadevia Inova targeting the fourth quarter of 2026 to close financing arrangements.

Kanadevia Inova Chief Executive Bruno-Frédéric Baudouin said the plant would take about three and a half years to complete, with construction handled by Moroccan firm Somagec.

Baudouin added that waste treatment and electricity generation could begin between six and ten months before the facility reaches full completion, allowing partial operations ahead of schedule.

The consortium has already secured a power purchase agreement with Morocco's state-owned electricity and water utility, ONEE, providing a long-term buyer for electricity generated at the plant.

Developers plan to seek debt financing from Moroccan banks rather than international lenders, a structure intended to limit foreign exchange exposure and give local institutions a direct stake in the project.

Full commercial operations at the facility are expected by mid-2030, positioning Casablanca as a reference point for large-scale waste-to-energy infrastructure on the continent.