Renewable Energy Opportunities for Mauritania

This report is supported by the Clean Energy Transitions Programme, the IEA’s flagship initiative to transform the world’s energy system to achieve a secure and sustainable future for all.

The International Energy Agency is pleased to launch the report Renewable Energy Opportunities for Mauritania at the regional conference MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power 2023 in Nouakchott, Mauritania. IEA Africa Programme Officer Rita Madeira will present key findings of the report alongside representatives of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania and participate in a panel discussion titled ‘’Bridging the Divide: Collaboration to Power the Region’’.

Mauritania has high-quality wind and solar resources whose large-scale development could have catalytic effects in supporting the country to deliver universal electricity access to its citizens and achieve its vision for sustainable economic development. This new IEA report – the first focusing exclusively on Mauritania – explores the potential benefits for Mauritania of developing its renewable energy options. Deploying these resources at scale to generate low-cost renewable electricity and hydrogen through electrolysis could attract large-scale investments and kick-start Mauritania’s energy system transformation, allowing the country to close electricity access gaps and spur clean and sustainable development. Deploying renewables in the country’s mining sector, which represents close to a quarter of Mauritania’s GDP, would also improve operations, increase efficiency, lower costs and reduce CO₂ emissions.

With the largest pipeline of renewable hydrogen projects in sub-Saharan Africa by 2030, Mauritania could become an important producer of renewable hydrogen at a competitive price. Anchoring demand on foreign offtakers can contribute to de-risk these projects and generate a stable revenue stream needed to mobilise investors at the necessary scale. By attracting significant amounts of capital, such large-scale projects could therefore enable a transformation of the power sector and spur sustainable economic development and growth, if robust and transparent policies and regulatory frameworks are put in place. The report also includes an analysis on the water requirements of hydrogen and the potential for expanding potable water availability through seawater desalination.