Moroccan potentialities of renewable energy sources for water desalination

Morocco is characterised by a semi and climate and the decrease of the available surface water has a strong impact on the renewable resources of ground water. Without additional unconventional water sources, the water deficit will keep growing, even if more dams are built in the future, since they alone will not mobilise more water by capita. The obligation to use other non conventional water resources such as desalinated water or waste water reuse and the need for a more rigorous policy of water management and planning becomes a necessity. However Morocco has a large potential of wind and solar energy sources that could be used in the sea water desalination. The paper presents the experiences of the use of renewable energy sources in desalination in Morocco and an economic analysis of wind powered desalination in the south of Morocco.