Keypoints:
- Casablanca signs 33.5-year waste concession
- Complex targets 1.5m tonnes annually
- Financing remains the next major test
MOROCCO has moved closer to building a $1.5bn integrated waste-to-energy complex in Casablanca after an international consortium signed a long-term municipal concession and agreements to sell electricity generated by the project.
The development could reshape waste management in Morocco’s largest city by treating about 1.5m tonnes of rubbish annually, reducing dependence on the Mediouna landfill and producing enough electricity to serve nearly one million residents. Financing, however, must still be secured before construction begins.
Agreements move project forward
Kanadevia Inova said on August 4, 2026, that it had signed the 33.5-year concession with the Municipality of Casablanca alongside Moroccan energy company Nareva and Japanese trading group Itochu.
The consortium also signed electricity off-take agreements with state utility ONEE and regional distributor SRM Casablanca-Settat. Kanadevia Inova said preparations for a limited notice to proceed and subsequent engineering, procurement and construction activities were advancing.
Reuters reported that the complex would cost about $1.5bn. Construction is expected to begin by the end of 2026 once debt and equity financing have been secured, with full commercial operations targeted for mid-2030.
Capacity figures need context
The consortium’s latest announcement lists approximately 126MW of baseload generating capacity, supplemented by 50MWp of solar photovoltaic power and 4MW recovered from landfill biogas.
It projects total annual electricity production of about one terawatt-hour, which it says would be sufficient to supply nearly one million people.
Nareva’s website, however, describes a 115MW waste-to-power unit capable of treating more than 1.4m tonnes of rubbish annually. The companies have not publicly explained the variation, which may reflect different technical definitions or stages of the project.
The consortium’s newer figures and annual production estimate therefore provide the clearest current description of the planned complex.
Mediouna pollution drives urgency
The facility will be constructed beside the Mediouna landfill, which has long generated methane, offensive odours and pollution affecting nearby farmland.
Kanadevia Inova said the development would increase Casablanca’s waste valorisation rate to about 80 percent while sharply reducing the volume sent to landfill.
The company expects approximately 1,240 workers to be employed during the three-and-a-half-year construction period, alongside about 300 jobs linked to related infrastructure and 140 skilled operational roles.
The plan adds to Morocco’s expanding green industrial portfolio, which includes a <a floating solar project designed to conserve reservoir water and a $5.6bn China-backed battery gigafactory.
Recycling concerns remain
Reuters described the Casablanca development as Africa’s second large-scale waste-to-energy facility, following Ethiopia’s Reppie plant. The description was not included in the consortium’s primary announcement, which instead called it Morocco’s first integrated waste-to-energy infrastructure.
Reuters also reported that environmental scientists, climate activists and community groups oppose some waste-to-energy plants, arguing that incineration can weaken recycling initiatives and produce particulate and greenhouse gas emissions.
The consortium says the Casablanca plant will use advanced flue-gas cleaning and comply with European industrial emissions and best available techniques standards.
Casablanca will therefore require strong public oversight, transparent emissions reporting and effective waste separation. Energy recovery should complement recycling and reuse rather than replace them.
That challenge reflects the growing role of African cities in shaping the continent’s energy transition and the use of technology to improve waste management.
What happens next?
The immediate test is financing. Kanadevia Inova’s chief executive told Reuters that debt would be raised locally, while Moroccan construction company Somagec is expected to build the complex.
The project could offer Casablanca a new model for managing urban waste and electricity demand. Its credibility, however, will depend on whether environmental safeguards, recycling targets and construction deadlines are independently monitored.
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