Molins de Vent TARRAGÓ: Successful commissioning of the windmills in the Western Sahara

Montblanc, 17.10.2011. At the beginning of October the windmills TARRAGÓ installed in the so called ‘free zone’ of Tifarati were commissioned. Western Sahara is a country assigned to Spain during the Congo Conference from 1884 to 1885 in Berlin. Despite of decades of resistance, the Spanish troops occupied the country till the dead of the General Franco. Till then, Morocco claims the country. The disputes last until now. The strong reduced population (about 5 thousand habitants per 2010) lives mainly in six refugee camps (Rabuni, Smara, Awsard, El Aaiún, 27 Febrero, Dakhla) in Algeria and in the called free zones of Tifariti, Mehaires and Bil Lehlu.

The installation of the windmill is part of a supporting project for the saharahui population, which Vicente Ubalde Monge – secretary general of the arm of the Spanish labor union UGT based in Aragon – started about 10 years ago. Financing has been possible thanks to three donors: the Agricultural Organisation “Federación Agroalimentaria”, a length of UGT in Aragón, Sodemasa, the environmental and agricultural department of the region Aragón, and the Major Town Jaca.

Within 10 days the Tarragó team installed the pumps and trained the local personnel, so that the proper long-term functioning of the windmill can be guaranteed. Around 20 persons of the Frente Polisario (a popular front) helped in the different tasks of the project. In parallel to the erection of the windmills, two winter gardens of 200 m2 and 400 m2 each, a 400 m long pipeline and a water reservoir of 200 m3 were constructed.

Ubalde on his own transported the food from the Tinduf Airport in Algeria (around 360 km in the North of the place of distribution) to Tifarati, so that the distribution of the food to the poorest inhabitants of Tifarati could be secured. This means about 12 hours driving time in the desert by 40ºC degrees.

Part of the expedition was Ms Isabel Félez Roselló, pastry specialist, who learned several receipts the local people in order they can cook with different tastes using the scare variety of local products.

The chief general of the second military region of Tifariti, Mr Brahim, expressed his gratitude for the project to all participants and is glad the town can increase the vegetable crops of tomatoes, onions, calabash, carrots and cucumbers next season thanks to additional water availability.