SEO Riders
– Tangier Dam Project Cuts Water Evaporation by Around 30%
– Over 22,000 Floatovoltaic Panels to Generate 13 MW for Tanger Med Port
– Innovative Tech Tackles Climate Stress, Backed by Trees Along Shore
Amid its most severe drought in four decades, Morocco has launched a pilot program installing floating solar panels—commonly known as “floatovoltaics”—on the Oued Rmel dam at Tangier Med. Initiated in late 2024, the project aims to curb the high evaporation rates driven by rising summer temperatures. The province has seen water reservoirs shrink to just 35% capacity, while temperatures exceeded normal averages by 1.8 °C between fall 2022 and summer 2023. Evaporation has surged to 3,000–7,000 cubic meters per day at the dam, but the floatovoltaic system is projected to reduce this by about 30%, saving approximately 1.2 million cubic meters of water annually—enough to supply around 1% of Tangier’s annual demand.
Once complete, the installation will span roughly 10 hectares and comprise more than 22,000 solar panels, generating up to 13 MW of clean electricity—sufficient to power the Tanger Med port complex. The system is anchored to adapt to fluctuating water levels and wind conditions, and complemented by tree planting along the shoreline to further reduce wind-driven evaporation. While climate expert Prof. Mohammed-Said Karrouk praises the pilot as “pioneering,” he notes that covering larger dams fully may be impractical, and advocates for broader strategies like expanding water transfer infrastructure. In parallel, Morocco continues advancing desalination—currently producing 320 million cubic meters annually—with plans to scale up to 1.7 billion by 2030.
