79. Morocco has a longstanding tradition of concession projects, and state interest in the private management of public services in areas such as urban transport, water supply, electricity, sanitation and waste collection can be seen in the number of projects successfully completed. PPPs entered a new era in the 1990s with the first North African BOT power plant project at Jorf Lasfar, which achieved financial closing in 1997. During the same period, management of drinking water and electricity distribution, as well as sewage treatment for the Greater Casablanca area was delegated to a private company. This was followed by similar concessions in Rabat, Tangiers, and Tetouan along with various others, such as the El Guerdane irrigation project. All in all, about 50 PPP projects are said to have been awarded in Morocco, or are currently in operation. However, this track record relates to concession-based projects under concession laws and the effects and benefits of a well-designed PPP initiative remain to be seen.