Jorf Lasfar

Jorf Lasfar (Arabic for "Yellow Cliffs")[1] is a deepwater commercial port located on the Atlantic coast of Morocco.[2] In terms of the volume of product processed, as of 2004, it was considered the second most important port in Morocco (just after Casablanca).[3] It is home to a swiftly expanding industrial quarter,[4] which includes both major artificial fertilizer and petrochemical factories.[1] Its harbor is well equipped for the exportation of phosphate rock (transported from Gantour and Ouled Abdoun)[1] and various chemicals such as pure sulphur, ammonia, and sulphuric acid.[5] The city is home to the largest independent power station in the country—primarily funded by investments from the Swedish-Swiss company ABB Group and the American company CMS Energy—which was thought to be capable of creating a third of Morocco's total power output.[6] The investment, numbering $1.5 billion,[7] was the single largest foreign investment on Moroccan soil up until that point.[6]

In 2002 the Moroccan company Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP)—a state-owned phosphate exporter—started the building of an air quality research laboratory at Jorf Lasfar.[8] It was announced in 2008 that the Abu Dhabi-based International Petroleum Investment Company (IPIC) was in the beginning stages of preparations for the construction of an oil refinery at Jorf Lasfar at a cost of $5 billion. With a proposed production capacity of 200, 000 barrels per day (bpd), the refinery is set to be completed in 2013.[9] In the beginning of 2010, OCP began accepting proposals for the building of a desalination plant.[10] The Moroccan government was interested in building the plant at least since 2001, when the United States Trade and Development Agency supplied $250,000 for preliminary studies.[11] The plant, which will provide drinking water for the city of El Jadida, has a planned capacity of 200,000 m3/d and is scheduled to be finished in 2012.[12] OCP also has plans for the erection of 4 additional phosphate fertilizer factories, specializing in diammonium and monoammonium phosphate.[13]

Cap Blanc du Nord, the lighthouse at the entrance of the port, is not known to be reliable, with its light occasionally going out.[14]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c McGuinness, Justin. "Morocco, 4th ed." (2003). Footprint Travel Guides. p. 142. ISBN 1-9034-7163-X. Google Books. Retrieved on April 7, 2011.
  2. ^ Cordesman, Anthony H. A Tragedy of Arms: Military and Security Developments in the Maghreb. Greenwood Publishing Group. p. 55. ISBN 0-2759-6936-3. Google Books. Retrieved on April 7, 2011.
  3. ^ Europa World Year Book 2 (2004). Taylor & Francis Group. p. 2974. ISBN 1-8574-3255-X. Google Books. Retrieved on April 8, 2011.
  4. ^ Lehmann, Ingeborg and Rita Henss. "Morocco" (2009). Baedeker. p. 234. ISBN 3-8297-6623-8. Google Books. Retrieved on April 7, 2011.
  5. ^ "Morocco: Moroccan phosphates' lates JV in Indian link" (Nov/Dec 2000). Sulphur. Issue 271. p. 11. Accessed through ProQuest on April 9, 2011. "The complex, equipped with units for loading, uploading and storing sulphur, ammonia, sulphuric acid, and phosphates."
  6. ^ a b Müller-Jentsch, Daniel. The Development of Electricity Markets in the Euro-Mediterranean Area: Trends and Prospects for Liberalization and Regional Integration (2001). World Bank Publications. p. 50. ISBN 0-8213-4910-4. Google Books. Retrieved on April 7, 2011.
  7. ^ OECD. "Development Centre Seminars Regional Integration in Africa" (2002). OECD Publishing. p. 97. ISBN 9-2641-9779-6. Google Books. Retrieved on April 8, 2011.
  8. ^ Jenkins, Rhys. Environmental Regulation in the New Global Economy: The Impact on Industry and Competitiveness (2002). Edward Elgar Publishing. p. 284. ISBN 1-8437-6845-3. Google Books. Retrieved on April 7, 2011.
  9. ^ "Morocco Refinery". DownstreamToday.com. Retrieved on April 9, 2011.
  10. ^ Filou, Emilie. "Water Desalination projects for a thirsty continent" (August-September 2010). The Africa Report. No. 24. pp. 86-8. Retrieved on April 10, 2011.
  11. ^ "US Agency Finances Study on Sea Water Desalination" (Feb. 9, 2001). Middle East News Online. Accessed through ProQuest on April 10, 2011. "The U.S. Trade and Development Agency will donate Morocco $250,000 to finance a technical-economic study to build a sea water desalination unit..."
  12. ^ "Moroccan phosphate solution hinges on desal" (Nov. 2009). Global Water Intelligence. 10(11). Retrieved on April 10, 2011.
  13. ^ "Morocco to boost phosphate mining capacity" (Nov. 29, 2010). Middle East North Africa Financial Network. Accessed through ProQuest on April 10, 2011.
  14. ^ National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency. Prostar Sailing Directions 2005: West Coast of Europe and Northwest Africa (2005). ProStar Publications. p. 204. ISBN 1-5778-5660-0. Google Books. Retrieved on April 7, 2011.