In a significant advancement toward sustainability, Morocco's waste-to-electricity project has received a new boost aimed at mitigating emissions and tackling one of the country's most pressing environmental challenges. A consortium, which includes BUTEC and Kanadevia Inova, has secured a major engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract for the waste-to-energy initiative in Casablanca, as reported by specialized energy platform attaqa.net.
This contract is part of a 33.5-year concession agreement with the Casablanca municipality, established by a consortium that includes Nareva, Kanadevia Inova, and Itochu Corporation, aimed at implementing one of Morocco's most prominent waste management and energy recovery projects.
The facility is set to be located northwest of the Médiouna landfill in the Casablanca-Settat region, with plans to process approximately 1.5 million tons of non-recyclable waste annually, significantly reducing reliance on landfills.
The waste-to-electricity project in Morocco aims to generate 126 megawatts by harnessing waste to produce energy, thereby supporting the Casablanca area’s shift towards a more sustainable waste management approach.
Details of the Waste-to-Electricity Contract in Morocco
The award given to BUTEC marks a crucial progression for the waste-to-electricity project in Morocco, transitioning from a concession agreement to the actual execution of engineering and construction tasks. Under this contract, BUTEC will leverage its multidisciplinary engineering and contracting capabilities to execute a major component of the project, collaborating with Kanadevia Inova, which specializes in waste-to-energy technology and renewable gas solutions.
Kanadevia Inova will oversee the technology and operations aspect of the engineering, procurement, and construction activities, as well as support long-term operations and maintenance financing for the facility. Meanwhile, BUTEC is responsible for all civil works for the facility, in addition to engineering, procurement, and construction activities related to buildings and non-operational facilities.
The scope of work assigned to BUTEC encompasses all civil, structural, architectural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) tasks, alongside necessary external infrastructure works for the project. This diversity of tasks reflects the reliance of the waste-to-electricity project in Morocco on comprehensive engineering expertise, combining civil works with various infrastructure and facility tasks.
Projected Timeline and Environmental Impact
The total cost of the waste-to-electricity project in Morocco is estimated at around $1.5 billion, with the facility projected to process about 1.5 million tons of waste annually. The project also includes a waste-to-electricity plant, supplemented by 50 megawatts of solar energy and 4 megawatts from landfill gas. Project data indicates that this mix of waste, solar energy, and landfill gas generation can meet the annual electricity needs of approximately one million people.
This initiative represents the first large-scale integrated waste-to-electricity project in Morocco, aiming to utilize waste for electricity production while simultaneously reducing the environmental impacts associated with landfills. It is anticipated that construction activities will begin before the end of 2026, with the entire project expected to take around three and a half years to complete.
Furthermore, the project aims to directly benefit over 4.2 million residents in the Greater Casablanca area by merging waste management and energy recovery into a single comprehensive system. This endeavor is designed to facilitate a transition towards a more sustainable and circular waste management approach while supporting Morocco’s long-term carbon-neutral aspirations.
Ultimately, the involvement of BUTEC in this project enhances its experience in the waste-to-energy sector, as the company has previously executed three large-scale consecutive projects in this field across various operational regions. Established in 1964, BUTEC is a multidisciplinary regional group operating in engineering, contracting, electromechanical solutions, and public utility services across more than 21 countries in the Middle East and Africa.
As reported by attaqa.net.
