If you had to make a list of things in your life that have a positive impact on society, where would you begin? When we speak to Meryem Hadri about her personal and professional journey in Morocco, her home country, that idea surfaces almost immediately.
In Morocco’s arid regions, every drop of water is precious. “Here in Morocco, we have mainly been using surface water stored in dams, but with climate change this resource is becoming increasingly rare,” Meryem explains. “So the Moroccan government decided to put in place a new strategy to build many desalination plants to meet the population’s water needs.”
She continues with the challenges affecting the Casablanca region, where she now works with ACCIONA. “This economic region of Moroccan is very populated, around 7 million people. Last year we started to really feel the shortage of water. There were cuts, especially in summer.”
I am happy to have had the opportunity to join ACCIONA and contribute to a major desalination project that will certainly have a real impact on the region, including the agricultural community.
The largest desalination plant in Morocco—and indeed in Africa—is an ACCIONA project. Meryem tells us what it means to her: “I am happy to have had the opportunity to be here and contribute to such a big project that will have an impact on the region. The project not only covers Casablanca City, but to the whole region.” She adds: “This project will benefit both the locals by providing them with 24/7 access to drinking water and the farmers by ensuring water for the irrigation of their fields.”
So how did Meryem get here? What inspired her to choose mechanical engineering? And what was it about ACCIONA that convinced her to make the leap? This article explores those questions, her dreams, and, of course, what will soon be the world’s largest desalination plant powered entirely by renewable energy.
The stories of ACCIONA’s people reveal how they come from very different backgrounds. Some, like Christian Balic, chose engineering when they could easily have pursued careers in music or sport. Others were guided by more direct influences. That was the case for Meryem, who grew up in a family of engineers and construction entrepreneurs who instilled in her a love of science from an early age.
“I had an aunt who was an electrical engineer in Morocco in the 60s and 70s—she was a pioneer. At that time, engineering studies were very rare in the country, they were just beginning.”
Meanwhile, her parents had founded a construction materials company. “My mother was the manager. I think she inspired me because she was a hard worker, very committed, and she was passionate about what she was doing. She knew how to balance her role as a mother and her responsibilities at work.”
Alongside her example, Meryem’s mother also passed on a love of numbers. “My motivation to be an engineer started initially because of my love for mathematics. My mother was very, very good at mathematics and that was also an inspiration.”
When asked why she chose mechanical engineering, her father’s influence also comes up. He was in charge of procurement at the family company. “When I was a child, I liked to help him with mechanical modifications at home, fixing things or connecting cables to repair an appliance.”
My mother was very good at mathematics, and she was a real source of inspiration for me.
Meryem, originally from a small town in the Casablanca-Settat region, decided to study engineering in the capital of the same name. It also became the stage for her current work with ACCIONA —but let us not get ahead of the story.
“The number of men was higher, but I did not feel treated differently,” she recalls. After two years of preparatory courses, she specialised in structural design. “For example, the structure of an airplane engine.”
Her graduation project, completed in 2013, focused on high-voltage pylons. “I prepared my report in a pair, and we presented the project in front of our families and friends.” Were her parents proud? “Of course! In my family we have a ritual. When someone finishes high school or university, we all celebrate together.”
My family and friends were so proud when I presented my final degree project—we all celebrated together.
Her specialisation in steel structures and her final project opened the doors to a Moroccan company. “They did a lot of structural projects for buildings, but they wanted to expand their activities to include innovative design projects, so they created a new department, and I joined them.”
That’s where Meryem took her first steps in business development and execution of infrastructural projects. The next stop was an international company specialising in “hydraulic activity and piping. I joined them for the business development part. This time I was introduced to industrial and water projects, which allowed me to develop new commercial and interpersonal skills.”
With these new skills in hydraulics, Meryem collaborated with an international company on the construction of a desalination plant in Agadir. Just as she was completing her last project there, a colleague who had joined ACCIONA suggested the opportunity to join the group. “It was perfect timing,” she says with a smile.
As mentioned earlier, the scale of the Casablanca desalination project was one of the main attractions. But there were other reasons behind her decision. “Before I joined, one of the good things I heard about ACCIONA was its organization and culture. ACCIONA values its employees and encourage them to give their best. It’s something you feel from the first days in the company. It’s a company with values that aren’t often found elsewhere.”
What else stood out? “Especially the impact that ACCIONA wants to leave in the region. The social impact, the sustainability impact that they want to ensure for these projects. It’s an impact that ACCIONA want to leave even after the project is completed. This is very inspiring for me.”
ACCIONA wants to create a lasting social impact in a region, even after a project is completed.
So Meryem became Deputy Project Director. What does her role involve? “The main challenge in desalination plants like this one is anticipating and managing the risks before they happen. My day-to-day is very dynamic, every day is different. I am managing, among other things, the relationship with the client as well as coordination with the stakeholders and the internal collaborators.”
Reflecting on her work, she points to another aspect of ACCIONA’s culture. “It’s not so much a challenge, it’s more of an opportunity, but in our project there are a lot of people from different countries and backgrounds. That helps create more innovative projects, because we are constantly exchanging our ideas, experiences, and diverse expertise and in the end, we make better decisions.”
How many nationalities are currently involved in the Casablanca plant? “We have Moroccan, Spanish, Lebanese, Tunisian, Algerian, Mauritanian… We also have people from Senegal and France.” Was she used to such multicultural environments? “In my previous companies there were two or three nationalities, and the majority were Moroccan. In contrast, ACCIONA is open to all nationalities and genders.”
Collaborating with people from different countries and backgrounds helps generate more innovative projects, because you are constantly exchanging ideas with other cultures, and the project benefits from this diversity of experience and expertise.
Here she pauses to talk about female representation. “Here in the Casablanca project, I think it’s roughly 30% women. This was not done on purpose or deliberately; the most important criteria for a role or position are merit and the competence, not gender.” She notes that the project director she works with is also an engineer. “She’s a great boss.”
“For us it’s not exceptional at all for a woman to take this position, it’s something natural. Women are taking on big roles in all departments of the company, not only in our project. I see it in HR, in sustainability, in engineering.” She concludes: “They are recognised for their merits and their work. Women are hard workers.”
Time to talk about the Casablanca desalination project, awarded in 2023 to a consortium led by ACCIONA for €613 million. As Meryem explains, this reverse osmosis plant will have a production capacity of 300 million cubic meters per year to meet the drinking water needs of a population of 7.5 million people and to enable the irrigation of 5000 hectares.
“It’s the largest plant in Africa; it will give a tremendous boost to the stability of water reserves here in Morocco.” Is it operational yet? “No, not yet. We started around a year and a half ago and there is another year and a half remaining until completion. It will be constructed in two phases. In the first phase it will supply 200 million m³ per year and in the second it will reach 300 million.”
She explains that in the initial stage all the common elements will be built, “like the marine works, the tunnelling, and the electrical systems.” On the energy side, she makes an important point. “It will be 100% powered with clean energy. There’s a wind farm currently under construction in the south of Morocco for this purpose.” She is referring to the Bir Anzarane wind farm, which will allocate 47% of its 360 MW capacity to the plant.
“The first phase will be completed by February 2027 and the second in August 2028.” And what happens after that? “Once the construction ends, there’s the commissioning” When the plant begins operating, ACCIONA will run it for the next 27 years.
How does she view ACCIONA’s reputation in Morocco? “ACCIONA has already executed big projects in Morocco during which it has built an excellent reputation. With the realization of our Casablanca desalination plant project, ACCIONA has positioned itself as a leader in executing large infrastructure projects in Morocco, driven by its expertise, values, and commitment to its obligations.”
The Casablanca desalination plant, the largest in Africa, will give a huge boost to the stability of water reserves here in Morocco.
Although currently focused on building the Casablanca desalination plant, Meryem has already considered future possibilities. Would she like to keep working in Morocco? “I would not mind working internationally, it depends on the opportunity and the project.”
What kind of projects would interest her? “I think mostly in water, but I also see the development and the new technology in renewable energy sector. What would motivate me is to participate in an important project with a strong impact on the environment.”
What would motivate me for my next mission is the chance to continue working on the execution of important projects, with a strong impact on the environment, not only in water sector but also in the renewable energy.
We ask about her interest in sustainability, which she mentioned earlier in the interview. Has it always been there? “It’s a subject that caught my interest at the start of my career, but it was really when I joined ACCIONA, which makes it a central pillar of its strategy, that my interest grew stronger.”
Meryem shares the testimony of the ecosystem involved in the project, which finds that ACCIONA is much more focused on sustainability and environmental aspect than other companies. She adds: “We are also having an impact on the subcontractors that work with us for two or three years, they are encouraged to adopt ACCIONA’s approach to sustainability, so the positive impact extends to their companies as well.”
On a more personal note, Meryem reflects on the impact of her role and her place in the company. “Upon joining ACCIONA, I immediately felt trusted, heard, and my constructive suggestions were taken into account, which made my integration into the team easier and enhanced my sense of responsibility.”
Right from the beginning, ACCIONA gave me visibility over my career within the company with the opportunity to continue on future projects, either here in Morocco or abroad.
And what does the future hold? “The dialogue about that started very soon. Right from the beginning, ACCIONA gave me visibility over my career within the company with the opportunity to continue on future projects, either here in Morocco or abroad.”
Finally, why would she recommend ACCIONA to someone looking for new professional challenges? “ACCIONA represents a great opportunity to join an international group, a leader in its field of activity, which has developed excellent working methods and management tools that allow one to gain experience and further develop their career.”
For now, Meryem wants to continue developing, both professionally and academically, by pursuing training in management and business administration—but above all, she wishes to keep contributing to the realization of projects that have a positive impact on the world.