Oil Minister Has Several Meetings in Brussels
Mr. Abessalam Ould Mohamed Salah, the Minister of Oil, Mines, and Energy, had several meetings with Belgian and European Union officials, as part of a visit he is making to Belgium.
During the first meeting with Ms. Tinne Van der Straeten, the Federal Minister of Energy of the Kingdom of Belgium, both parties welcomed their common energy vision and agreed to strengthen their cooperative relationship. They also expressed their convergence of views in the field of energy transition, particularly with regard to the development of hydrogen and green minerals.
Mr. Ould Mohamed Salah hoped to see Belgium serve as an entry point for Mauritanian hydrogen.
The second meeting with Mr. Koen Doens, the Director General in charge of the international partnership of the European Union, focused on the partnership between the EU and Mauritania for a just energy transition.
The Minister thanked, in this context, the European Union for its support to the various sectors, particularly that of energy through the RIMDIR project, and for its technical and financial support for the reform efforts of SOMELEC and the drafting of the Electricity Code which has been approved, as well as the drafting of an attractive and efficient regulatory framework for electricity and green hydrogen.
On this occasion, Mr. Abessalam Ould Mohamed Salah made a presentation on the status of the implementation of strategies aimed at accelerating the investments necessary for the development of oil, gas, and mining resources and speeding up the realization of projects in Mauritania. In this regard, he referred to the three important projects underway: the hydrogen code to ensure a safe framework for investors, a study to assess the deficit in the infrastructure necessary for the development of green hydrogen, and a practical framework for developing local content (particularly in the extractive sectors) to the satisfaction of all parties.
For his part, Mr. Koen Doens praised the excellent cooperation between Mauritania and the European Union, particularly in the field of energy. He expressed his strong desire to strengthen the energy independence of the European Union, which he said remains the most secure and stable export market for our country. The EU official also indicated that he understood the priority that Mauritania gives to the development of gas as a transition energy before underlining the great interest of the EU in renewable energies with a strategic perspective for the development of green minerals from 2027. In this context, he said, the Union paid great attention to the projects under discussion with TotalEnergies, ArcelorMittal, or Thyssen.
In the field of vocational training, the new European strategy emphasizes the need to create added value by localizing a large part of the manufacturing processes, highlighting future steel projects and the production of pellets and green steel. The idea of creating a training center of excellence in the field of renewable energies will be discussed with other partners, particularly the World Bank.
Finally, the agreement that will be signed very soon to accelerate universal access to electricity was reviewed, noting the importance of its components, particularly the Nouakchott-Nema high-voltage line and other networks. Mauritania has requested the signing of a strategic agreement in the form of a bilateral memorandum of understanding which will be studied by the European authorities.
The third meeting took place with Enabel, the Belgian cooperation agency which carries out several programs and activities in Mauritania in the fields of health, agriculture, livestock, and energy on behalf of the government.