Minister: Morocco to invest $1.95bn in renewable energy projects in disputed Western Sahara

Members of the Sahrawi People’s Liberation Army parade during a ceremony to mark 40 years after the Front proclaimed the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR) in the disputed territory of Western Sahara on February 27, 2016 [FAROUK BATICHE/AFP via Getty Images]

Morocco has launched renewable energy projects worth 20 billion dirhams ($1.95 billion) in the disputed Western Sahara region, Anadolu reported the Moroccan Minister of Energy Transition and Sustainable Development, Dr. Leila Benali, saying yesterday.

Speaking during a government session, Benali said the renewable energy projects being implemented have a total capacity of more than 1.6 gigawatts, representing 36 per cent of the total capacity under development.

“Renewable energy projects are receiving great interest from Moroccan and foreign investors,” she added.

On 23 October 2019, the Moroccan government announced the launching of 68 investment projects worth $6.1 billion, explaining that 29 per cent of the projects will be implemented in the Sahara region.

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“Renewable energy programmes in the southern regions of the country have an economic and social impact on the local population,” it added.

Rabat proposes expanded autonomy in the Sahara region under its sovereignty, while the Polisario Front calls for a referendum on self-determination, a proposal supported by Algeria.

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