Good news for Veolia in Africa. Its Moroccan subsidiary has won the sustainable development award. This distinction was awarded at the 12^th edition of the International Sustainable Development Observatory (ODI) on December 6^th, 2021. The ODI distinguishes the most resilient French companies in their development in Africa, despite the Covid-19 pandemic. Amendis, which won the sustainable development award, provides water and electricity management in the regions of Tangier and Tetouan.

According to Veolia, the jury of the 12^th ODI was impressed by Amendis’ projects for reusing treated wastewater in northern Morocco. They contribute to securing the water supply of the cities of Tangier and Tetouan, while preserving the resources dedicated to drinking water. In concrete terms, the company, which has 2,200 employees, has built and operates two wastewater treatment plants in northern Morocco.

Preserving the resource

Commissioned in 2015, the Boukhalef wastewater treatment plant has a capacity of 11,000 m³ per day. The plant is undergoing an expansion project that should increase its capacity to 32,000 m³ per day. The other wastewater treatment plant currently operated by Amendis is located in Tamuda Bay, the Mediterranean coastline of northern Morocco between the cities of Martil and Fnideq. The wastewater treated by this facility is reused for watering green areas, including the Fnideq corniche in the Tangier-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region.

According to Veolia, the wastewater treated by the Boukhalef and Tamuda Bay treatment plants is used to water at least 225 hectares, or 39% of the green spaces in the city of Tangier. This process saves up to 5 million m³ of water per year. A fine example of a sustainable development project that caught the attention of the jury of the 12^th edition of the ODI.

For the record, this competition is organized by the consulting firm BearingPoint and its partners, La Tribune Afrique, HEC Paris, and the French Council of Investors in Africa (CIAN).