Morocco is battling its worst drought in decades, and the government is now turning to an unusual ally—floating solar panels. These so-called floatovoltaics don’t just produce clean energy; they also act like a shield, protecting dam water from vanishing into thin air. The first pilot project has already been set up at the Oued Rmel dam near Tangier, with power supplied directly to the Tanger Med port.
The scale of Morocco’s water loss is staggering. Between October 2022 and September 2023 alone, the country’s reservoirs lost the equivalent of more than 600 Olympic-size swimming pools every single day due to evaporation. Rising temperatures, averaging 1.8 °C above normal, have only made things worse.
At Oued Rmel, the government has rolled out over 400 floating platforms carrying thousands of solar panels across a 10-hectare stretch of water. But this is just the beginning—plans are in place to expand the project to 22,000 panels, with similar initiatives lined up for the Oued El Makhazine and Lalla Takerkoust dams.
Morocco’s rainfall has been shrinking, and studies show a massive 118 billion cubic metres of rainwater evaporates each year before it can even be captured. If trends continue, experts warn that by 2040 Morocco could face extremely high water stress.
To cushion this, the country is doubling down on desalination. With 17 plants already running, four under construction and nine more in the pipeline, Morocco hopes to secure an annual supply of 1.7 billion m³ of water by 2030.
The floatovoltaics fit neatly into this bigger plan—helping farmers, cities, and industries access more reliable water while powering key infrastructure like the Tangier port. Scientists also point out bonus benefits: solar panels stay cooler on water, making them more efficient, and the shade cuts down on algae growth. In hot, dry regions, floating solar can slash evaporation by up to 30%.
If Morocco can pull this off at scale, its floating solar programme won’t just be a local solution—it could set the pace for other drought-hit nations trying to save water and go green at the same time.
