How desalination reshaped Algeria in 2025 ?

In 2025, Algeria reached a major milestone in water security by making seawater desalination a central pillar of its strategy. Large-scale plants came online to secure drinking water for millions, especially in densely populated coastal areas.

The breakthrough began with Fouka 2 in Tipasa, a 300,000 m³/day plant now supplying nearly three million people in Algiers, Tipasa, and Blida. It was followed by Cap Djinet 2 in Boumerdès, built on the same model to serve Boumerdès and nearby wilayas. Both projects reflect a national program of five mega-plants, each with identical capacity and standards, designed to reduce reliance on dams and groundwater.

Backed by the state and overseen by Algerian Energy Company, the program costing about $2.4 billion covers plants in El Tarf, Béjaïa, Boumerdès, Tipasa, and Oran. Together, they add 1.5 million m³ per day, raising national desalination capacity to 3.7 million m³ daily and extending coverage to around 15 million citizens.

With desalination set to provide 42% of drinking water, up from 18%, Algeria is clearly shifting from short-term solutions to long-term resilience. The approval of three new plants in Tlemcen, Mostaganem, and Chlef confirms that this momentum is only growing.