CRC Evans wins second contract on crucial Moroccan water pipeline project
CRC Evans (CRCE), a leader in welding, welding technology, and coating services, has won a major contract renewal to provide project management and pipeline welding services for a transformational water pipeline project in Morocco.
State-owned OCP Group is constructing a 219-km water pipeline to transport desalinated water from its facilities in Jorf Lasfar on the Atlantic coast to its operations in Khouribga as part of an initiative to combat water shortages in Morocco.
The win is the second on the project for UK-headquartered CRCE and was awarded following successful completion of work on the first phase of the project in 2024, when it worked with local contractors to complete 4,000 welds on a 72km stretch of 52' diameter pipe.
In the new phase, the company will project manage welding on 150km of steel water pipeline. Consisting of 56' and 40' diameter pipes, with around 12,000 welds, the full spread of CRCE equipment will include its internal welding machine and P-625 dual torch external welding equipment. CRCE will also provide manual tie-in welding solutions, along with specialist welding technicians, to the project.
'We're very pleased to have secured a new contract for this project on the back of work carried out to date; it confirms our client's confidence to continue to work with them on such a fantastic project, which will bring huge benefits to the local population," said Henk DeGraaf, Onshore Director, CRC Evans.
'Shortage of water is a major problem in Morocco, and this pipeline will provide desalinated water for fertilizer production, agriculture and industrial community projects, freeing up pressure on local water resources."
Steven Mackay, Director of Renewables & Infrastructure, CRC Evans said: 'Our world leading expertise in coatings and welding, both in terms of our experienced personnel and ground-breaking technology such as our internal welding equipment, with its higher rate of productivity, are crucial in the current project and future water projects to come.'
Known for its global and industry-leading expertise in coating and welding services across many sectors, including oil and gas, CRCE continues to target new markets and recently established a new division specialising in renewables and infrastructure.
It includes provision of specialist welding and coating services for the utilities sector, including water and domestic gas pipelines. This ideally positions CRCE to leverage its expertise to support projects being delivered under Asset Management Plan 8 (AMP 8), the latest round of regulatory framework introduced to improve the delivery of water and wastewater facilities across the UK. Running from now until 2030, it will generate multi-billion pounds in business opportunities for companies operating in this sector.
"Issued on behalf of CRC Evans by BIG Partnership. For more information, contact Ben Palmer on ben.palmer@bigpartnership.co.uk
About CRC Evans:
CRC Evans is a leading provider of welding and coating services for the global energy and wider infrastructure sectors. Founded in 1933, the organisation has employees across five continents.
For more information on CRC Evans, visit: https://www.crcevans.com/
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
2 days ago
- The National
UK drops mega-project to transport energy underwater from Morocco
The UK has decided to abandon a mega-project intended to bring solar and wind energy from Morocco for use by domestic consumers. It stepped back from a plan to transmit power generated in Tan-tan province in Morocco's south through what would have been the world's longest underwater power cable and is pivoting to other projects seen as less risky, British energy officials said. The British government, which is aiming to largely decarbonise its electricity sector by 2030, said it would no longer support the £25 billion ($33 billion) scheme due to a 'high level of inherent risk, related to both delivery and security". It said it believed domestic projects could offer better economic benefits. "The government has concluded that it is not in the UK national interest at this time to continue further consideration of support for the Morocco-UK Power Project," energy department minister Michael Shanks said in a written statement to parliament. He added the project did not clearly align strategically with the government's mission to create home-grown power in the UK. The project had originally been designated by the previous Conservative government as being of "national significance" but faced funding and regulatory hurdles. The Morocco-UK Power Project was announced by British company Xlinks in 2021 as part of a drive to create a global energy grid and ship power from places where it is cheap to produce to high-demand markets. Xlinks said the scheme would provide an equivalent of 8 per cent of Britain's current electricity needs, or about seven million homes. According to Xlinks, the project would have lowered wholesale electricity prices by 9 per cent and reduced the UK sector's carbon emissions by about 10 per cent. 'There are stronger alternative options that we should focus our attention on," Mr Shanks said, noting the inherent risk for taxpayers and consumers. The UK relies heavily on natural gas for its energy needs and aims to generate all of its energy from renewable sources by 2030. It closed its last coal-fired power plant last year and offered some financing to a string of wind, solar and energy storage projects to help meet its goal. Such large-scale infrastructure projects typically rely on some government support or fixed prices per megawatt-hour. Xlinks had sought government backing with a 25-year contract guaranteeing a fixed price for the electricity, and has already received loans from investors including France's Total Energies and development bank Africa Finance Corporation. Xlinks board chairman, former Tesco chief executive Dave Lewis, said the company would continue pursuing the project despite the government's decision. 'We are hugely surprised and bitterly disappointed," he said, noting the company believed its project would offer electricity at cheaper rates and more quickly than other proposals, including to expand nuclear power. 'Over £100 million from leading energy sector players has already been spent on project development and demand from lenders to participate in the construction phase is greater than we require," he said. "We are now working to unlock the potential of the project and maximise its value for all parties in a different way." The Xlinks scheme is one of several projects that reflect how European countries are looking to North Africa for clean energy, testing whether it is cheaper to generate renewable power in ideal conditions far away and ship it, or to produce it domestically. The project would transmit electricity through nearly 4,000km of underwater cables encased in protective plastic and steel, with minimal transmission loss. If completed, it would be the world's largest interconnector, though smaller subsea cable networks already link the UK to neighbouring European countries. In addition, transmission projects in Tunisia and Egypt aim to link solar and wind farms to Italy and Greece. Britain is one of the leading players in renewable energy in Europe due to onshore and offshore wind power but still trails behind Scandinavian countries, which draw a large part of their electricity from wind and hydroelectric dams. The UK has set a target to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 81 per cent by 2035 compared to 1990 levels and is aiming to be carbon neutral by 2050. The government recently pledged more than £30 billion to relaunch nuclear power as an essential step for energy security and its climate ambitions.
Zawya
3 days ago
- Zawya
Sino-Moroccan COBCO begins producing EV battery materials
Sino-Moroccan company COBCO said on Wednesday it had begun production at a plant for lithium-ion battery components in Jorf Lasfar, 125 kilometres (78 miles) south of Casablanca. COBCO is a joint venture between Moroccan investment fund Al Mada and CNGR Advanced Materials, a battery materials producer. Morocco's proximity to Europe, automotive industry, free trade deals, and available phosphates and cobalt make it attractive to Chinese EV battery makers. In a first phase, the plant will produce two key components for lithium-ion batteries: nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) and precursor cathodes (pCAM), COBCO said in a statement. The materials will be produced from nickel, cobalt and manganese, which are key components for EV batteries and stationary energy storage, it said. Ultimately, the $2 billion plant targets an annual capacity equivalent to 70 gigawatt-hours, enough to equip one million vehicles, a source close to the project told Reuters. The plant aims to reach an annual production capacity of 120,000 tonnes of NMC precursors and 60,000 tonnes of lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) cathodes. The LFP cathodes production will start "as soon as a regional LFP battery ecosystem emerges," the company said. COBCO's plant marks a first production start in Morocco's push to be a hub for the EV battery supply chain, as it seeks to adapt its automotive sector to EV industry requirements. Sino-European EV battery maker Gotion High Tech is building Africa's first gigafactory in Morocco, for a total investment of $6.5 billion, with production expected in the third quarter of 2026. Chinese auto battery manufacturers Hailiang and Shinzoom announced last year plans to set up two separate plants near Tangier, which would produce key EV battery ingredients: copper and anodes respectively. Chinese electric battery maker BTR New Material Group is also planning to produce key component cathodes in Tangier. Morocco is home to Stellantis and Renault vehicle production plants, and reported a 6.3% increase in automotive sector exports to a record 157 billion dirhams ($17 billion) in 2024, according to official figures. (Reporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi Editing by Mark Potter)
Zawya
3 days ago
- Zawya
Radisson's Ramsay Rankoussi on hotel growth trends and Africa's rising cities
Africa's hospitality sector is accelerating its post-pandemic recovery, with secondary cities and adaptive conversions emerging as key drivers of hotel growth. Ramsay Rankoussi, Vice President of Development for Africa and Turkey, Radisson Hotel Group. During the Future Hospitality Summit (FHS) Africa, held from 17 to 19 June at The Westin Cape Town, Bizcommunity caught up with Ramsay Rankoussi, vice president of development for Africa and Turkey at Radisson Hotel Group. He shared insights into the group's evolving Africa strategy, investor appetite, and the importance of credible local partnerships in unlocking regional potential. How would you describe investor sentiment around Africa's hospitality sector in 2025, and where are you seeing the strongest pockets of growth? I think it's important to define Africa not as one market but as 54 countries, each with its own opportunity and potential. For us, priority markets include South Africa, where we currently have 15 hotels and aim to nearly double that in the next five years. Morocco is also showing strong potential, driven by its Vision 2030, major events like the World Cup, and infrastructure reforms. Egypt continues to grow steadily, and Nigeria benefits from macroeconomic factors linked to oil and gas, driving business demand. The key fundamentals for investment remain infrastructure and accessibility — countries that can attract both international and regional/domestic demand post-Covid. Once these factors are in place, it becomes a question of construction costs, cost of capital, access to financing, and facilitating investment through licensing, permits, and streamlined bureaucracy. We're seeing growing interest in secondary and emerging cities across the continent. How is Radisson positioning itself in these markets, and what makes them attractive investment destinations? Secondary cities are growing economic and industrial zones, with lower land barriers and costs compared to prime locations. For example, in South Africa's Middleburg, an economic zone is developing, and we plan to open a hotel there this year. These areas offer untapped demand, lower development costs, and potentially better yields. Since many of these cities currently lack hotels, there is a clear opportunity to capture new markets at lower investment levels. Conversions have become a bigger part of many groups' growth strategies. How is Radisson leveraging property conversions in Africa, and what benefits do they offer owners and local economies? With the challenges we face around cost of capital, inflation, funding delays, and material shortages, we've mitigated risk by focusing on conversions — taking existing or nearly completed properties and rebranding them. This approach lowers the risk of non-completion and allows quicker market entry. Last year, we opened nearly 1,000 rooms across Africa through conversions. For investors, conversions reduce risk while offering brand benefits. For Radisson, it mitigates delays caused by financing or cost pressures. We still do new builds with strategic partners, but conversions remain a priority to reduce execution risk. Partnerships remain critical when operating across Africa's diverse markets. What qualities do you look for in local partners, and how does this contribute to long-term success? In every country, we operate with a local partner who understands the real estate side, often institutional investors or high-net-worth individuals. Radisson provides brand management and operational expertise, while the partner facilitates development by managing permits, building codes, funding, and construction relationships. Success depends on a shared vision — creating employment during and after construction, and delivering benefits for owners, employees, and the local community. That long-term partnership approach is what ensures both economic impact and operational success in these markets. Workforce development and local empowerment are often overlooked in discussions about hotel expansion. How is Radisson investing in skills development and inclusive hiring as part of its growth strategy? We're proud that across Africa, 99.9% of our employees are locals. We take this responsibility seriously and fast-track local talent into executive and general manager roles as part of our diversity efforts. Temporary expatriates may come in where talent gaps exist, but only to mentor and groom local staff. Talent creation requires both private and public investment. Radisson offers training through its academy and career pathways, but many countries still lack the necessary institutions and facilities for the hospitality sector; this remains a challenge. Finally, what excites you most about the future of African hospitality over the next five years? The continent is vast, young, dynamic, and growing rapidly. Economies and domestic demand continue to expand alongside improving connectivity and infrastructure. While Africa has been underrepresented on the global map due to limited airline connectivity and infrastructure, that is changing. Local and regional players are now promoting Africa worldwide, highlighting its diversity of business, convention, and leisure offerings — from coastal resorts to urban hotels. The cultural diversity across countries is a beauty of the continent. Most importantly, the young talent emerging today will be the future leaders of African hospitality.
