16 firms prequalified to construct wind farms in Western Sahara
Article image
The Moroccan government's plans to develop wind farms in occupied Western Sahara have drawn the interest of 16 international companies.
Published 03 July 2013


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

EU Court adviser confirms separate and distinct status of Western Sahara

The Advocate General of the EU’s top Court backs the legal status of the people of Western Sahara. Final Judgment expected in a few months. 

21 March 2024

EU Court adviser: fruit from Western Sahara should not be labelled as from Morocco

Labelling those products as originating in the Kingdom of Morocco instead of originating in Western Sahara breaches EU law, the Advocate General of the EU Court of Justice concludes.

21 March 2024

COWI abandons future projects in Western Sahara

After undertaking work for the Moroccan state phosphate company in Western Sahara, the Danish consultancy giant COWI states that it “will not engage in further projects" in the occupied territory.

11 March 2024

Report: EU-Morocco fisheries depends on illegal occupation

An external evaluation report on the EU-Morocco fisheries agreement 2019-2023 confirms that the agreement revolves, in its entirety, around Western Sahara.

08 March 2024