UK’s Emmerson to sue Morocco at ICSD over unreceived environmental license

UK company Emmerson has raised funds to sue Morocco at the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes ICSID after failing to obtain an environmental license for its Potash mine in Khemisset.

Morocco’s investment authorities have judged that the Emmerson issued an unfavorable opinion on the project’s environmental impact, due mainly to concerns about excessive water use.

On Dec 6, the company said it had raised £850,000 (nearly 10.7 million dirhams) to finance expenses related to “the dispute with the Kingdom of Morocco and the remuneration of key witnesses” in the arbitration that the British group plans to initiate with the ICSID.

The potash project is located near Khémisset, which is strategically positioned between the cities of Rabat and Meknes in northern Morocco.

Potash is a key ingredient in fertilizers, and the Khémisset project is expected to produce a substantial amount of this valuable mineral.