By: ESI Africa

The government has entered into an agreement with Ewa Green Energy to finance, develop, build and operate the 60MW hybrid power plant, state-owned news publication Agence Mauritanienne d’Information reported.

The deal was inked on Friday (12 September) by Sid’Ahmed Ould Bouh, Minister of Economy and Finance and Mohamed Ould Khaled, Minister of Energy and Petroleum with Moulay El Arby of Ewa Green Energy.

Key features of the solar-wind project

1. The plant is to be completely financed by the private sector.
2. Construction is expected to be completed within 12 months.
3. The contract includes a receipt-and-payment clause, offering essential guarantees to the investor.
4. The project will add to the national electricity production capacity without increasing foreign debt or burdening public finances.

Bouh called the deal “a qualitative leap,” emphasising that it is the first time that private actors will directly produce electricity in Mauritania through a PPP. 

He said the agreement reflects the government’s commitment under President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani to:

• diversify its energy mix,
• accelerate the energy transition,
• reduce carbon dioxide emissions, and
• strengthen sustainable electricity supply for the economy.

More PPP projects in the pipeline

Khaled said the project will “qualitatively” improve the electricity system and that under this contract the state “will have electrical facilities without resorting to borrowing and foreign debt, as the project… will be completed in 12 months.”

He also confirmed that this will not be the last private sector partnership the government enters into and reiterated that state facilities will be created without resorting to borrowing.

Aiming to increase electricity access in Mauritania

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), as of 2020, about 47% of Mauritania’s population had access to electricity. The government aims for universal access by 2030, with urban areas already targeted for full access and rural areas to double their access by 2024.

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The IEA has also highlighted Mauritania’s high potential for solar and wind energy. 

The country’s renewable energy resources could play a catalytic role in powering sectors such as mining (one of the largest industries in the country, contributing close to a quarter of GDP), which currently depends heavily on fossil fuels like diesel and heavy fuel oil, the IEA noted. 

Towards fulfilling the Mission 300 ambition

Also in March 2025, the World Bank’s DREAM Project (Development of Energy Resources and Mineral Sector Support) was approved. 

It will finance Mauritania’s first large-scale battery energy storage facility, support solar and wind development and help institutional reforms. 

The World Bank project aligns with the Mission 300 Energy Compact, which aims to achieve universal electricity access in Mauritania by 2030.