Mauritania has taken another step towards its stated ambition to become a world leader in green hydrogen production by signing an initial agreement to develop a project of up to 10GW with UK-based energy firm Chariot. It is the second green hydrogen deal that the northwest African country has signed in recent months.
'Project Nour' will have access to 14,400km² of onshore and offshore area on the coast to generate solar and wind for electrolysis. It is unclear how much the project will cost at this stage but its size and scale will "require significant levels of investment", Chariot said.
Chariot will conduct preliminary research on the project's feasibility from an investment and logistical perspective. The company is mainly involved in oil- and gas-related exploration projects in Brazil, Morocco and Namibia, and this is its only foray into hydrogen.
Mauritania's President Mohamed Ould Ghazouani said the country's wind and solar potential is one of the best on the continent. The country plans to be a main producer and exporter of green hydrogen and its derivative products to nearby European markets.
Mauritania signed an initial agreement in May with Australian renewable energy developer CWP Global to develop a $40bn green hydrogen project across 8,500km² in the north of the country. This project, called 'AMAN', has an electrolyser capacity of 30GW generated by wind and solar and a projected output of 1.7mn t/yr of hydrogen.
These initial agreements are part of Mauritania's roadmap for the acceleration of renewable energy development, which is aimed at international investors. In September the German ambassador to Mauritania, Isabel Hendin, met with the Mauritanian energy minister Abdessalam Ould Mohamed Saleh to discuss future developments. Germany signed a green hydrogen partnership with Namibia in August.
"Developing Mauritania's green hydrogen industry promises to bring a combination of environmental, economic and social benefits to our country," said Saleh. Major sectors that will need green hydrogen in their process of decarbonisation include steel and ammonia production.
