<p>Phosphogypsum (PG) is a byproduct generated during the production of phosphoric acid according to the wet-process phosphoric acid (WPPA) route in Morocco. The integration of PG in construction materials is limited due to the presence of impurities such as P₂O₅, F, heavy metals, and radionuclides. This work describes the use of a simple PG purification process, to allow the utilization of large quantities of Moroccan PG in Portland cement (PC) production. PC was modified using different amounts of PPG ranging from 0 to 15 wt.% via partial substitution of clinker. The results indicated that the produced cement shows properties (setting time and compressive strength) similar to those of commercial PC at a PPG content of 5 wt.%. The compressive strength reached 42 and 44 MPa, respectively for commercial gypsum (CG) and PPG at 28 days. Increasing the PPG content to 10 wt.% resulted in a 20% reduction of the compressive strength at 28 curing days. The cement hydration products such as ettringite (AFt), hydrated silicate (C-S–H) and portlandite (CH) were identified via microstructure characterizations using XRD, FTIR and SEM/EDX. The designed cement could substitute PC and by doing so theoretically absorb between 0.6 and 1.3 million tons PG annually in Morocco alone.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>