Bin el Ouidane Dam, Hydroelectric power station and arch dam in Beni Mellal, Morocco.
Bin el Ouidane is an arch dam on the El-Abid River in Beni Mellal province, holding water for three turbines that generate electricity. The curved concrete structure rises above the river and creates a reservoir that stretches between the surrounding mountains, regulating water flow for power production and downstream irrigation networks.
Construction began in 1949 under the Office National de L'Électricité and took four years to complete, with the facility opening in 1953. The project was one of the first major hydroelectric installations in North Africa after World War II, paving the way for further infrastructure development across the country.
The dam represents a cornerstone of Moroccan infrastructure development, demonstrating the nation's early commitment to renewable energy sources in North Africa.
The facility sits in mountainous terrain roughly northeast of Azilal and can be reached by roads winding through the high country. Visitors should note that it remains an active infrastructure site where access to certain areas may be restricted, while views of the reservoir from the shoreline remain open to the public.
The reservoir is one of the larger artificial water bodies in the region and draws anglers and day-trippers to its shores. Water levels shift with seasonal rainfall patterns, with the reservoir typically filling more after winter rains in the mountains and drawing down during the dry months.
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