Bou Craa phosphate mine and Morocco green hydrogen in Western Sahara
- The record does not name which of my species, waters, soils or forests were harmed.
Phosphate from the Bou Craa mine in Western Sahara is carried to the coast on a conveyor powered by a wind farm, and Morocco has allocated land in the territory for green hydrogen. The EU's Court of Justice ruled in 2024 that agreements covering the territory require the consent of its people.
Figure from Western Sahara Resource Watch (36 ships); the value of the trade is estimated at about US$376.5 million.
Status As of August 2026: phosphate exports continued with three buyer companies in 2025; the Aftissat wind complex reached 550 MW; the EU letter-exchange stood after a Parliament objection fell by one vote in November 2025.
- OCP — State-owned phosphate producer; the mine is in the disputed territory.
- Nareva (Al Mada) — Owner of the Foum el Oued wind farm feeding the conveyor and one of the selected hydrogen operators; per WSRW linked to Moroccan royal family holding Al Mada. Western Sahara Resource Watch
- People of Western Sahara — The CJEU ruled in 2024 that their consent is required for agreements covering the territory. Western Sahara Resource Watch
What happened
Western Sahara is listed by the United Nations as a non-self-governing territory. Morocco has controlled most of it since 1975. The state-owned Office Chérifien des Phosphates (OCP), which is about 94% state-owned, aims to run on 100% renewable energy by 2027 and to produce green ammonia; its 2023-2027 green investment plan, announced in December 2022, was described as about US$13 billion with 1 million tonnes of green ammonia in 2027.
Western Sahara Resource Watch (WSRW), an advocacy group, reported that the conveyor of about 100 km that carries phosphate from the Bou Craa mine to the coast is powered almost entirely by the Foum el Oued wind farm (50.6 MW, 22 Siemens turbines, in operation since 2013), owned by Nareva. According to WSRW, Nareva belongs to Al Mada, described as the holding company of the Moroccan monarchy. WSRW also reported that the Aftissat wind complex in the territory reached 550 MW, with 121 turbines and Goldwind turbines in its last phases.
On 4 October 2024 the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that EU trade and fisheries agreements with Morocco cannot be applied to Western Sahara without the explicit consent of its people, and that the Commission's consultation process did not demonstrate such consent. In October 2025 the EU and Morocco exchanged letters that re-applied tariff preferences to Western Sahara products and accepted Moroccan administrative region names on labels. The Commission wrote that the "region of origin" concept was the result of negotiations with Morocco. A European Parliament objection fell on 26 November 2025 with 359 votes in favour, 188 against and 76 abstentions; 360 were needed.
According to WSRW, about 2.02 million tonnes of phosphate were exported in 2025 in 36 ships, to India (1.34 million tonnes), Mexico and New Zealand, and the number of buyer companies fell to three. The Moroccan government said in May 2018 that 80% of jobs at Phosboucraa went to Sahrawis and that Sahara phosphate was only 2% of OCP production; Wikipedia gives about 10%.
In March 2025 Morocco selected six green hydrogen projects, with five operators, in the Laayoune-Sakia El Hamra, Dakhla-Oued Eddahab and Guelmim-Oued Noun regions: up to 30,000 hectares of public land per project and about one million hectares in total. One of the operators is Nareva. In February 2026 a US-Spain-Germany partnership, ORNX, signed a deal for a US$4.5 billion green ammonia complex in Laayoune; the report on the deal refers to "Morocco's southern provinces" and does not name Western Sahara.
- 1975Morocco begins controlling most of Western Sahara
- 2013Foum el Oued wind farm (50.6 MW) in operation at Laayoune, per WSRW
- 2018Moroccan minister states 80% of Phosboucraa jobs go to Sahrawis and Sahara phosphate is 2% of OCP output (May)
- 2022OCP announces 2023-2027 green investment plan (December)
- 2024EU Court of Justice rules consent of the people of Western Sahara is required (4 October)
- 2025Morocco selects six hydrogen projects (March); EU-Morocco exchange of letters (October); Parliament objection fails by one vote (26 November); 2.02 Mt exported in 36 ships
- 2026ORNX signs Laayoune ammonia deal (February); WSRW reports record-low number of phosphate importers (29 May) and the 550 MW Aftissat complex (11 August)
What was said
Where accounts differ
Each party's account, side by side, with its source. The record does not settle these points; it shows them.
On 4 October 2024: agreements covering Western Sahara require the people's consent and the Commission's consultation did not show it.
Western Sahara Resource WatchThe "region of origin" concept was the result of the negotiations with Morocco.
Western Sahara Resource WatchDescribed the Parliament vote of 26 November 2025 as a labelling grab; the objection fell one vote short.
Western Sahara Resource WatchHow it looked
Shown
- Phosphate carried from a disputed territory with "green" electricityOCP renewable-energy target for 2027 and the Foum el Oued supply, as set out in the record · Western Sahara Resource Watch
- Jobs: 80% to Sahrawis; Sahara phosphate 2% of OCP productionMoroccan government minister, May 2018 · Yabiladi
- Report on the ORNX deal places the project in "Morocco's southern provinces"News report on the February 2026 agreement
Recorded
- CJEU, 4 October 2024: agreements covering Western Sahara require the people's consent; the Commission's consultation did not show it
- 2025 phosphate exports from Western Sahara: about 2.02 million tonnes, 36 ships, 3 buyer companies (WSRW)
- Hydrogen allocation: up to 30,000 ha per project, about 1 million ha in total, across regions that include Western Sahara
- Wikipedia gives the mine's share of Moroccan phosphate output as about 10%, against the minister's 2%
Who gained
Reached nature or the ground
Gained elsewhere
Responses on record
- morocco-government (May 2018): A minister stated that 80% of jobs at Phosboucraa went to Sahrawis and that Sahara phosphate was 2% of OCP production. · Yabiladi
- ocp (December 2022): Aims to run on 100% renewable energy by 2027 and to produce green ammonia; investment plan of about US$13 billion announced December 2022.
- european-commission (2025): The "region of origin" concept was the result of the negotiations with Morocco. · Western Sahara Resource Watch
- nareva: No response found in the record.
In court and with insurers
Lawsuits and rulings
- 2024-10-04Outcome not on recordEU agreements with Morocco and Western Sahara (C-778/21 P and related cases)Court of Justice of the European Union · International court · Not named in the record → EU institutions (Commission consultation at issue)
The Court ruled that agreements covering Western Sahara require the explicit consent of its people, and that the Commission's consultation process did not demonstrate it. In October 2025 an EU-Morocco exchange of letters re-applied tariff preferences; a Parliament objection fell by one vote on 26 November 2025. Western Sahara Resource Watch
Insurers
What nature saw
Nature's report opens this page. Below: further outcomes measured on the ground.
What we don't know
Nature
- Not measured Harm to nature: No independent ecological evaluation is on record.
Court
- Unclear EU agreements with Morocco and Western Sahara (C-778/21 P and related cases): outcome not on record.
Accounts
Record
- None on record The Sahara phosphate share of OCP production (2% or about 10%) and the actual Sahrawi share of Phosboucraa employment could not be verified.
- None on record The official text of the EU-Morocco exchange of letters could not be checked.
- Insufficient Reported but not independently verified: details of the Foum el Oued wind farm and its supply to the conveyor come from a WSRW page and a business and human rights summary that were known only as a summary.
- None on record The record shows no consent given by the people of Western Sahara to the phosphate trade or hydrogen allocation.
Did the harm stop?
Not stopped. The phosphate trade continued in 2025 and 2026 and hydrogen land was allocated in 2025; the EU measure that applies trade preferences to the territory was reapplied in October 2025.
Who paid?
The record does not identify a payer; it records that the people of Western Sahara were not shown to have consented (CJEU, October 2024).
Sources
Press and investigations
Communities and civil society
- EU court ruling: occupied Western Sahara is not part of EU-Morocco agreements (via Western Sahara Resource Watch)Western Sahara Resource Watch · 2024-10
- Occupied Western Sahara wind complex expands into Africa's top threeWestern Sahara Resource Watch · 2026-08-11
- Parliament greenlights Morocco's labelling grabWestern Sahara Resource Watch · 2025-11-26
- Record-low number of importers of Western Sahara phosphatesWestern Sahara Resource Watch · 2026-05-29
- Foum el Oued wind farm (WSRW; Business and Human Rights Resource Centre summary)Western Sahara Resource Watch ·
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