ONEE Unveils Ambitious Plan for Electric Highway in Western Sahara

Casablanca, Morocco – The Moroccan National Electricity and Water Board (ONEE) has announced plans to construct a 1,400-kilometer-long electric highway connecting occupied Western Sahara to the Moroccan mainland. This ambitious project aims to transport renewable energy generated in the disputed territory to major cities in Morocco, marking a significant step towards the country's energy transition.

According to ONEE, the electric highway will have the capacity to transport up to 3 gigawatts (GW) of electricity generated from renewable sources located between Dakhla and El Aaiún in Western Sahara. The first phase of the project, with a capacity of 1.5 GW, is expected to be completed by 2026, followed by the second phase in 2028.

ONEE has already conducted technical studies for the project and has expressed a preference for using pylons and overhead lines to connect several cities along the route. The proposed trajectory of the electric highway includes Ouled Lekraa, El Aaiún, Tan Tan, Agadir, Marrakech, Chemaia, and Mediouna.

This project builds upon previous efforts by Morocco to integrate renewable energy from Western Sahara into its national grid. In 2021, the country contracted French engineering company VINCI to construct a 400 kV transmission line between El Aaiún and Hagounia. However, the African Development Bank (AfDB) clarified that it had only financed the portion of the route north of the border, citing its policy of not financing projects in occupied Western Sahara.

The announcement of ONEE's electric highway project comes amid growing international scrutiny of Morocco's activities in Western Sahara. The disputed territory has been under Moroccan control since 1975, but its sovereignty remains contested by the Polisario Front, a Sahrawi independence movement. The project's potential to contribute to Morocco's economic development and energy security while also raising questions about its impact on the region's political dynamics.