The EBRD Grants 250 Million Euros to ONEE to Strengthen Water Security in Morocco
Morocco Takes Significant Steps to Strengthen Water Security
Morocco has reached a new milestone in enhancing its water security. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has granted a €250 million loan to the National Office for Electricity and Potable Water (ONEE) aimed at modernizing the infrastructure dedicated to producing drinking water throughout the Kingdom.
This initiative also marks a first: it is the EBRD’s inaugural loan to Morocco backed by a guarantee from Tamwilcom, a mechanism designed to facilitate financing for strategic projects.
A National Program to Improve Water Management
The EBRD funding consists of an initial tranche of €120 million and a second uncommitted tranche of €130 million. Additionally, there is an investment grant of €5 million to support the implementation of the program.
These resources will finance a comprehensive investment plan aimed at enhancing the efficiency, resilience, and sustainability of drinking water production infrastructures in Morocco.
Planned projects will notably focus on reducing water losses in networks, rehabilitating and extending strategic infrastructures, bolstering the resilience of production facilities, and incorporating digital solutions to optimize the management of water supply networks.
ONEE Accelerates Its Transition to Sustainable Management
Beyond investments in infrastructure, the program includes a significant technical assistance component aimed at supporting the transformation of ONEE.
This assistance will particularly support the establishment of a climate governance program, as well as the development of a Sustainability-Linked Financing Framework (SLFF) for the Water branch of the Office. This framework will allow ONEE to strengthen its commitment to sustainable finance and position itself among the pioneering players in the region in this field.
EBRD Reaffirms Its Commitment to Morocco
Haytham Eissa, the EBRD office director in Morocco, emphasized that this financing transcends mere infrastructure concerns.
According to him, this investment will support the sustainable transformation of ONEE by fully integrating issues related to climate resilience, environmental governance, and new mechanisms for sustainable financing.
Since commencing its operations in Morocco in 2012, the EBRD has invested over €6.2 billion in the Kingdom to support the development of the private sector, ecological transition, and modernization of strategic infrastructures.
