ENERGY SECTOR OVERVIEW

Mauritania, under its 2016 Accelerated Growth and Shared Prosperity Strategy, considers energy to be a priority for poverty reduction. As a result, Mauritania’s government is working to expand its electricity supply and encourage investment in the renewable energy sector to stimulate the economy.

Mauritania is endowed with substantial renewable energy resources, in particular solar, wind, and hydro, as well as natural gas reserves. The majority of its existing capacity comes from HFO generation, while the rest comes from large hydro, solar PV, and wind generation. Mauritania has one state-owned electricity utility: SOMELEC.

Independent power producers (IPPs) are not yet involved in electricity production. Despite high resource potential and opportunities for cross-border export, Mauritania’s power sector faces significant challenges, including access to financing, an inadequate grid network, electricity transfer, and a lack of stable regulatory and tariff structure.

GENERATION CAPACITY

• Installed Capacity: 380 MW
  • Fossil Fuels: 263 MW
  • Renewables: 117 MW Power Africa New MW to Date
• Reached Financial Close: N/A
• Power Africa 2030 Pipeline: 180 MW

CONNECTIONS

• Current Access Rate: 29%
  • Rural: 2% Urban: 47%
• People without Power: 3 million
• Power Africa Off-Grid Connections: 8,436

INVESTMENT AND ENABLING ENVIRONMENT

Biggest Issues

1. Access to Financing
2. Creditworthiness of utility
3. Lack of stable regulatory structure

Power Africa Interventions

1. Transaction Advisory Assistance
2. Support to private off-grid companies

POWER AFRICA’S ENGAGEMENT IN MAURITANIA

MW GENERATION

Power Africa has provided regional transaction advisory support for the 180 MW Banda Gas-to-Power project with the goal of accelerate reaching financial close.

CONNECTIONS

Since 2013, Power Africa has facilitated 8,436 connections in solar lanterns through partnerships with private off-grid companies. This assistance has supported the government’s strategy of increasing rural access to electricity.