Mauritania is embarking on an ambitious energy adventure with the objective of producing 12 million tonnes of green hydrogen by 2035, thanks to its abundant solar and wind energy resources. This project also aims to develop local production of green steel and ammonia, thus strengthening the country’s industrial value chain. Despite a promising regulatory framework, technical and operational challenges remain numerous.
A pioneering regulatory framework in Africa
On September 9, Mauritania adopted the first green hydrogen code on the African continent, a text designed to secure foreign investments and provide a favorable environment for this emerging sector. According to Taghiya Abeiderahmane, director of low-carbon hydrogen at the Ministry of Energy, this code offers “flexibility and adaptability in the face of technological and market developments, while guaranteeing the security of developers”.
This regulation is an essential step for large-scale projects like the Nour project. In its initial phase, the latter plans a capacity of 1.6 gigawatts of electrolysis to produce 150,000 tonnes of green hydrogen per year. Laurent Coche, CEO of Chariot, co-developer of the project with Total-EREN, sees in this code an opportunity to negotiate suitable investment agreements, including agreements on the tax regime, access to land and sharing of infrastructure.
Promising natural resources
The first studies, released in February, confirmed a strong wind potential on the northern coast of Mauritania. These resources could be mobilized to reduce local iron ore, currently exported via the port of Nouadhibou, without going through carbon-intensive processes like coal.
The technical challenges of the project
Despite stated ambitions, the development of large-scale electrolyzers remains a major challenge. “The first industrial tests, around one hundred megawatts, still show limits of technical maturity,” explains Ludovic Leroy, engineer at IFPEN. He highlights the delays encountered by similar projects, such as that of TotalEnergies and Engie in France, which had to be redesigned with another technology.
In Mauritania, another major challenge is the supply of pure water to power the electrolyzers. The country will have to desalinate sea water, an energy-intensive and costly operation, which will require suitable infrastructure and increased technical expertise.
A vision to come true
Mauritania is making great strides on the regulatory front and is positioning itself as a key player in the energy transition in Africa. However, achieving this vision will depend on the ability to overcome technical and logistical obstacles. At the same time, the training of a qualified workforce and the development of specific infrastructure will be decisive in transforming this ambition into reality.
With these initiatives, Mauritania aspires not only to diversify its economy, but also to become a regional leader in renewable energy and the production of green hydrogen.
