Morocco is set to build Africa’s second large-scale waste-to-energy plant, a $1.5 billion project designed to turn millions of tons of household waste into electricity while tackling one of the country’s biggest landfill pollution problems.
- Morocco will construct Africa’s second major waste-to-energy plant in Casablanca, costing $1.5 billion.
- The facility, led by a Swiss-Japanese consortium, will start construction in 2026 and fully operate by mid-2030.
- It will process 1.5 million metric tons of waste annually to generate 115 megawatts of electricity, supplying power for nearly one million people.
- The project aims to clean up the Mediouna landfill and could reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an amount equivalent to 20% of Switzerland’s annual emissions.
Morocco is set to build Africa’s second large-scale waste-to-energy plant, a $1.5 billion project designed to turn millions of tons of household waste into electricity while tackling one of the country’s biggest landfill pollution problems.
A consortium led by Swiss-Japanese waste management company Kanadevia Inova said construction of the facility in Casablanca is expected to begin by the end of 2026, with full commercial operations targeted for mid-2030.
Per Reuters report, the project is being developed in partnership with Moroccan energy firm Nareva and Japanese trading company Itochu under a concession awarded by Casablanca’s city government.
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Powering nearly one million people
Once completed, the facility will process around 1.5 million metric tons of waste annually and generate approximately 115 megawatts of electricity using municipal waste, landfill gas and solar energy. The output is expected to provide enough electricity for nearly one million people.
The consortium has already secured a power purchase agreement with Morocco’s state-owned electricity utility, ONEE, while financing is expected to come primarily from local lenders. Construction will be carried out by Moroccan engineering company Somagec.
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Cleaning up a notorious landfill
The project is expected to transform the Mediouna landfill, Morocco’s largest dumpsite, which has long been associated with foul odours, polluted farmland and methane emissions from decomposing waste.
According to Kanadevia Inova, the plant could cut greenhouse gas emissions by an amount equivalent to about 20% of Switzerland’s annual emissions—a reduction the company says is comparable to removing 300,000 cars from the road.
Despite its environmental ambitions, waste-to-energy technology remains controversial. Environmental groups argue that incineration-based plants can discourage recycling while producing air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions.
