Join on WhatsApp
Join on Telegram
Agadir – Emmerson PLC, a United Kingdom-based mining corporation with expertise in the development of potash mines in Morocco, has made a move in the arbitration process against Morocco over the Khemisset potash project.
The company announced that it has made the Memorial to the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID), saying it presented details of the claim with evidence and legal arguments and seeking $1.215 billion in damages net of local taxes and including interest.
“The Memorial outlines the Company’s case in full, including legal arguments and supporting evidence. This included a claim for damages amounting to US$1.215bn net of local taxes and including interest,” Emmerson PLC indicated in a statement.
The dispute centers on the Khemisset potash project, one of the largest planned potash development projects in Morocco. Potash is a key ingredient in fertilizers, making it a strategic resource for agriculture globally.
Moroccan authorities rejected the project in December 2024, citing environmental concerns, particularly regarding water usage.
‘A significant step in the arbitration process’
Emmerson argued that this rejection constituted a violation of the country’s obligations as outlined in the United Kingdom-Morocco BIT, which seeks to safeguard the interests of foreign investors from any form of unfair treatment or expropriation.
At the time of Morocco’s decision, Emmerson reported that the project was at an advanced stage of development.
“The Company was at an advanced stage of development at the time of Morocco’s breaches of its obligations under the United Kingdom-Morocco Bilateral Investment Treaty and has employed expert quantum consultants to determine the claim value,” it said.
Emmerson added that the Memorial is now submitted in accordance with the arbitration panel’s timetable and Morocco has several months to respond.
“The submission of the Memorial is a significant step in the arbitration process and I would like to thank the team for all the work that has been put into the submission,” said Emmerson PLC Graham Clarke.
At the time of writing, Morocco has not yet responded to the company’s claims, and so it remains unclear what the country’s defense or counterarguments will be.
