Bureau Veritas has announced its involvement in the controversial Bir Anzarane wind energy project, located in occupied Western Sahara. The news, shared in a recent LinkedIn post, signals the company’s continued disregard for the legal and ethical implications of Morocco’s occupation of the territory.

According to the post, Bureau Veritas will provide “third-party technical services” to the wind farm, which is planned for construction near Dakhla, a coastal city in the part of Western Sahara that has been under Moroccan occupation since 1979. While the company presents the project as supporting Morocco’s renewable energy transition, it makes no mention of the fact that the site lies outside Morocco’s internationally recognised borders.

The Bir Anzarane wind farm is a project of Green of Africa, an energy firm in-part controlled by Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch through his Akwa Group. The project is being developed by Green of Africa Dakhla, reportedly 70% owned by Green of Africa - a joint venture between Akwa Group and the Benjelloun family’s O Capital Group - and 30% by the French multinational Vinci.

As recently reported by WSRW, the first wind turbine components for the project began arriving in the occupied territory in mid-June 2025, marking a significant escalation in Morocco’s efforts to cement its hold over Western Sahara through high-profile infrastructure projects.

Bureau Veritas’ role in this project is part of a broader pattern of the firm's controversial operations in the territory. As documented in a recent WSRW report, the company has expanded its presence in occupied Western Sahara by certifying Moroccan and foreign businesses operating there, and by participating in or sponsoring industry events hosted in the territory. The company refers to the territory as “southern provinces” of Morocco, totally ignoring all rulings of international courts. When asked by WSRW how its activities comply with international law, Bureau Veritas has failed to respond.

Western Sahara is classified by the United Nations as a Non-Self-Governing Territory. The UN has never recognised Moroccan sovereignty over the territory, and the Saharawi people have long opposed Morocco’s exploitation of their land and resources without their consent. Both the International Court of Justice and the Court of Justice of the European Union have reaffirmed that Morocco has no legal claim to sovereignty over Western Sahara, and that it does not have an administering mandate over the territory.

“Bureau Veritas’ continued presence in occupied Western Sahara, now with a flagship project tied to Morocco’s highest political office, deepens its complicity in whitewashing the occupation,” said Sara Eyckmans of Western Sahara Resource Watch. “By assisting in the development of infrastructure that entrenches the occupation, the company aligns itself against international law and the rights of the Saharawi people.”

Western Sahara Resource Watch calls on Bureau Veritas to immediately withdraw from all operations in the occupied territory and to issue a public statement that acknowledges the legal status of Western Sahara, and to rectify all posts of political support to the occupation on its website that are contrary to international law. 

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