WSRW calls on power producers to withdraw from tender
The Moroccan state electricity company ONE last year launched a tender to find a company to take on the construction of power plants in occupied Western Sahara. WSRW has got the lists of the 21 companies which are prequalified. The companies, from a dozen countries worldwide, are these days being contacted by WSRW, with an appeal to withdraw from the tender.
Published 15 February 2009
Morocco needs more electricity to build out their settlements and industries in the illegally occupied Western Sahara. WSRW has got hold of the lists of the companies which are prequalified for their latest tender. These days, WSRW is contacting each one of the companies, in a dozen countries worldwide.
The letter to the companies points out that in the ONE tendering documents, it is erroneously mentioned that the projects are located in “the Kingdom of Morocco”. However, the Dajla and Bojador energy projects are both located in Western Sahara, which is treated by the UN as a territory pending decolonisation, as well as an area under occupation. Due to the ONE mislabelling of the area, Western Sahara Resource Watch believes that some of the companies might have been seeking the tender after a misunderstanding.
No states in the world recognise Dajla and Bojador as lying within Morocco, and the International Court of Justice has rejected Morocco's claims to the territory.
See the details of the tender here.
"We would like to inform you that the company who ends up winning the Moroccan tender and starts supplying power to Moroccan industry and infrastructure on occupied land, will be subject to a public campaign, by the Saharawis and by our international network of people who work in solidarity with the oppressed people of Western Sahara", the letter reads.
"We hope you will appreciate and understand the ethical, political and legal dilemmas involved in engaging in occupied Western Sahara and that you will withdraw from the tender. We hope that your company in the future does not choose to be associated with the Moroccan annexation of Western Sahara", it says.
The following companies and consortiums have been prequalified for the tender for the installation, development and operation of two Solar Power Plants in occupied Western Sahara, under what Morocco has come to call “The Chourouk Initiative”:
1. Abengoa solar PV
2. Acciona Energia
3. AES
4. Babcock & Brown
5. CDG Développement / Solar Ventures
6. Central Sun/NovEnergia/Auma
7. EDF EN
8. Gamesa Solar/First Reserve
9. Gestamp /Ensol, SL
10. Helium Energy
11. Isofoton/Isofoton Maroc/Berge Généracion
12. La companie du vent
13. Martifer Rewables/Fomentinvest Energia/Martifer Solar
14. MIP-AM Invest-IC-Denkstatt-Wentz
15. NTR
16. Solar Ecopower/Taqa/Noorweb/Solon
17. Solar Pack
18. Sorgenia
19. Suez Tractebel
20. Sumitomo
21. Tsolar & Isolux
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