The Moroccan government's plans to develop wind farms in occupied Western Sahara have drawn the interest of 16 international companies.
The Moroccan government wants to construct a 300 MegaWatt (MW) wind farm in Tiskrad, near El Aaiun, and plans to erect another 100 MW wind farm in Boujdour, located further down south in the occupied territory. Both farms should be operational by 2020.
In order to market the projects to international energy firms, the two project-sites in Western Sahara have been included in a package-deal together with three other sites in Morocco proper.
A tender inviting energy companies to indicate their interest in building all 5 parks, resulted in quite a number of companies submitting their candidacy. The Moroccan National Office for Electricity and Water (ONEE) has retained 16 of these firms, who are now running either by themselves or in consortiums to win the bid.
Western Sahara Resource Watch has sent letters to all of the firms engaged in the bid, asking them to refrain from building infrastructure on occupied land.
The involved companies are;
- Acciona Wind Power (Spain)/Acciona Energia (Spain)/Al Ajial Funds (Morocco)
- EDF Energies Nouvelles (France)/Mitsui&Co (Japan)/Alstom (France)
- Acwa Power (Saudi Arabia)/Gamesa Eolica (Spain)/Gamesa Energia (Spain)
- General Electric (USA)
- Nareva Holding (Morocco)/Taqa (Abu Dhabi)/Enel Green Power (Italy)/Siemens (Germany)
- International Power (UK - though acquired by French Groupe GDF Suez in 2012) /Vestas (Denmark)
Find copies of the letters sent by WSRW below.
WSRW letter to ACCIONA
WSRW letter to Al Ajial
WSRW letter to EDF Nouvelles Energies
WSRW letter to Mitsui & Co
WSRW letter to Alstom
WSRW letter to ACWA Power
WSRW letter to Gamesa
WSRW letter to General Electric Company
WSRW letter to NAREVA Holding
WSRW letter to TAQA
WSRW letter to Enel Green Power
WSRW letter to Siemens
WSRW letter to International Power Ltd - GDF Suez
WSRW letter to Vestas
One of the richest coastlines in the world
The fish stocks of occupied Western Sahara have not only attracted the interest of the Moroccan fleet: other foreign interests are also fishing in the occupied waters through arrangements with Moroccan counterparts. Along the Western Saharan coastline, a processing industry has emerged.
The CJEU Court Cases
Keeping track of the many legal proceedings relating to Western Sahara is not easy. This page offers an overview of the cases concerning the territory that have been before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).
Tūhana human rights advisors ignore human rights
A consultancy hired to assess phosphate imports from occupied Western Sahara into New Zealand concludes there is no problem.
MEPs push back on Commission over Western Sahara in EU–Morocco trade
MEPs from across the political spectrum sharply criticised the European Commission over its handling of EU-Morocco trade relations covering occupied Western Sahara, raising concerns over legality, transparency and an apparent disregard for Parliament’s role.