These are the top 5 low carbon energy projects in Mauritania which is reportedly a leading regional performer in the quest toward low carbon power, with a 38 per cent share of renewables in the country’s electricity mix, and a 50 per cent target by the year 2030.
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The country had initially set a 35 per cent renewable objective for 2035 which combined with its 549 MW total installed capacity may still seem insignificant when compared to its projected development potential of 457.9 GW solar and 47 GW wind-generated electricity. It is now beginning to realize its enormous natural power reserves and that optimizing them could lead to significant rises in its current 38.8% national electricity access rate, which by 2030 could reach 100%.
Energy Capital & Power has partnered with the country’s Ministry of Petroleum, Energy, and Mines to pursue this goal and promote its unparalleled work in the West African energy transition. As a result, these are the five most important low-carbon energy projects in Mauritania to watch in 2022.
Project NOUR– Green Hydrogen
Project Nour, in partnership with Chariot, aims to construct 10 GW with a $3.5 billion investment. The mega-development was given the green light by the government in September of last year, and progress was made last month with the positive results of pre-feasibility studies.
Chariot also entered an MoU with the Dutch Port of Rotterdam earlier this year for the latter’s construction of a new top global green ammonia import terminal, that will commence operations in 2026 and take in 600,000 tons of green hydrogen per year from Project Nour. The Chariot project is currently looking for a group of investors to help it reach its conclusive decision.
AMAN– Green Hydrogen
CWP Global‘s $40 billion, 30 GW AMAN project will be constructed in the Dakhlet Nouadhibou and Inchiri areas of Mauritania’s northern region and will be one of Africa’s largest green hydrogen projects. Its 18 gigawatts of wind and 12 gigawatts of solar will power inland electrolysis, yielding 10 million tons of green ammonia every year.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) involving CWP and the Mauritanian government kicked off the project, which was approved by a framework agreement last month. The project is expected to trim national unemployment by a third by 2035, while also increasing the country’s GDP by 50–60%.
TOUJOUNINE–Solar
Mauritania’s climate is said to be perfect for solar, averaging seven days of rain annually, and the country’s first major low carbon power project did not disappoint, with a 50MW production capacity at Toujounine supported by 54,000 panels on the northern outskirts of the country’s capital.
It is operated by the national electricity company, Société Mauritanienne d’Electricité (Somelec). The $53 million project was launched by former President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz.
KLIMA – solar
The Klima solar farm builds on Toujounine’s legacy with the German-built Klima application, which funds a 600,000m2 solar farm by aggregating funds from 75,000 users looking to offset their carbon emissions.
This one-of-a-kind Mauritanian development meets 15% of the country’s total energy needs and serves 100,000 people, indicating a bright future for energy finance from a three-year-old application. The Klima solar farm was initially announced in July 2020, and it has continued to grow and gain support since then has users from more than 70 countries download the app.
BOULENOUAR — Wind
The Boulenouar Wind Farm, which will be operational in the fourth quarter of this year, will be Mauritania’s largest, with a capacity of 102.4 MW, and will take full advantage of the country’s 754-kilometres of prime Atlantic coastline.
