Is Western Sahara supplying half of Morocco's wind and solar energy?

Western Sahara Resource Watch, a Brussels-based NGO allied to the independence movement, estimates that by the end of the decade occupied Western Sahara could be supplying half of all Morocco’s wind energy and a third of its solar energy, much of it headed for Europe.

How many solar panels are there in the Sahara?

Plans for one project in the Sahara call for 12 million solar panels and 530 wind turbines on an area of more than 650 square miles. And the land being taken for projects large enough to deliver power economically down long cables is vast.

Why is Western Sahara important?

It also has a large potential for the development of tourism and renewable energy. The exploitation of Western Sahara’s natural resources takes place in a context where the cultural, economic and political rights of the Saharawi people are infringed, and which in turn, fuels Morocco’s illegal occupation.

Are solar and wind farms a good idea in North Africa?

Critics also point to environmental and social concerns. Proponents of solar and wind farms in North Africa routinely describe the land they are taking as remote, empty desert. But even the Sahara Desert is not deserted, especially the coastal areas favored to link up with submarine cables.

Is the Sahara Desert deserted?

But even the Sahara Desert is not deserted, especially the coastal areas favored to link up with submarine cables. Plans for one project in the Sahara call for 12 million solar panels and 530 wind turbines on an area of more than 650 square miles.

Is Western Sahara a self governing territory?

Western Sahara is a non-self governing territory pending decolonisation, rich in natural resources that generates numerous economic benefits for Morocco and dozens of transnational companies. Meanwhile, the Sahrawi people have no guaranteed the right to self-determination and the right to manage and use their own land and resources.