UNLOCKING MAURITANIA’S FUTURE FUEL POTENTIAL

Amid bountiful natural resources, African nations compete fiercely for global investment attention. This is also true of Mauritania, a country grappling with ongoing poverty and unemployment.

Nestled in the northwest corner of Africa, Mauritania has been striving for years to implement reforms that enhance its business climate, attract foreign investment, and diversify its economy. Despite continuous efforts, it frequently remains unnoticed as it is overshadowed by its more well-known neighbors like Morocco, Egypt, and Tunisia. The harsh climate, characterised by hot, dry, and windy conditions, coupled with its remote location, only compound its challenges, causing project developers to seek opportunities elsewhere on the continent.

Ironically, these very conditions have now propelled the West African nation onto the global stage. As hydrogen, the most abundant element in the universe, has gained significant attention as a promising solution to address global challenges such as

Thursday 08 June 12:00 - 12:30

Problem: Alternative fuel production in Africa has long been dented by underinvestment and aspirations that do not marry with reality

Solution: Mauritania is bucking the trend by setting a realistic and achievable strategy for hydrogen development climate change, energy security, and the transition to a low-carbon economy, so Mauritania has emerged as the ideal location for its production.

“Mauritania has made significant strides in the adoption of renewable energy, with a growing number of projects being launched across the country,” said Mohamed Abdellahi Yaha, owner and CEO of Maurilog, an integrated logistics service provider that has been operating in Mauritania for decades. “When it comes to hydrogen the potential is huge and there is a growing realisation of this around the world. Right now, three of the biggest hydrogen projects planned for Africa are in Mauritania.”

Yaha believes the hydrogen potential is, in fact, far bigger than currently perceived.

“The conditions in the country are perfect. The abundance of solar and wind resources, along with a large amount of space available, make it an ideal destination for green hydrogen projects. Our proximity to Europe only makes the offering more enticing.”

Compared with other West African countries Mauritania stands out, he said. “Nigeria, for example, has the space and the sun, but not that much wind. Morocco, on the other hand, has good sun and wind but less space especially as the Western Sahara dispute continues. Mauritania, however, has the exact conditions required.”

According to the UN Agency for Renewable Energy, the country’s renewable energy potential amounts to at least 4,200 GWh. In 2020 the government adopted a national strategy to transform its energy sector, setting itself a goal to increase its share of renewable energy in its energy mix to 60 percent by 2030. Development of the BP-operated Greater Tortue Ahmeyim liquefied natural gas (LNG) project is currently underway. The first exports from this project are expected before the end of this year.

Change in Mauritania, Yaha said, was therefore imminent. “We are on the cusp of some very big developments that have the potential to change the trajectory of our country.”

Ismail Abdel Vetah, a senior advisor to the Mauritanian Ministry of Petroleum, added that hydrogen is the gamechanger the country has been waiting for.

“The studies have been done and the strategy is in place. To date, we have signed four agreements putting us on track to become one of the major players in the world’s energy transition,” he told Breakbulk

Vetah said what stands out is the speed at which the hydrogen sector is developing in Mauritania. “Africa is not known for quick delivery and it can take years to get a project off the ground. What we are seeing in Mauritania is a definite increase in pace to get these projects up and running.”

He said the government had taken a proactive approach. “The strategy is realistic and achievable and the goals that are being set are attainable. This is not a case of just talking about the potential that exists but systematically doing the necessary work to turn it into a reality. We believe that we will see the construction of at least one of the four projects start no later than 2026 with the first hydrogen produced as early as 2027.”

According to Vetah, much work has already gone into developing the necessary political and economic frameworks. “By the middle of this year, we will be the first country to have a dedicated Hydrogen Code. We realised very early on that the existing Mining, Petroleum and Hydrocarbon Codes would not suffice. Having the correct legal framework in place is critical if we want to be successful with our strategy.”

Four projects are currently on the table in Mauritania. CWP’s Aman project, located in the Dakhlet Nouadhibou and Inchiri regions of the country, is a 30 GW green hydrogen project that will generate approximately 110 TWh at full capacity. It is expected to produce at least 1.7 million tons of green hydrogen per year. Chariot’s Project Nour will see another 10 GW of renewable energy installed for a production of 750,000 tons of hydrogen and 4.5 million tons of ammonia. Vetah said both these projects were progressing well with framework agreements signed.

In November last year, the government signed its third MOU, this time with BP to carry out several