President of Republic Lays Foundation Stone for Mauritania’s First 220 MW Hybrid Power Plant
His Excellency the President of the Republic, Mr. Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani, on Thursday evening in the Toujounine district of Nouakchott North, laid the foundation stone for the country’s first hybrid power plant. With a capacity of 220 megawatts, the project is part of the activities commemorating the 65th anniversary of National Independence Day.
This power plant features an advanced technical design that integrates multiple energy sources, including a 160-megawatt photovoltaic solar plant, a 60-megawatt wind power plant, and a battery energy storage system with a capacity of 370 megawatt-hours. This configuration will ensure stable and continuous power generation, meet peak demand, enhance grid stability, and support overall electricity production.
The plant, whose construction cost amounts to 120 billion old ouguiyas and is fully financed by the private sector, will be connected to the national electricity grid through a 225/33-kilovolt substation, ensuring the safe and efficient transmission of power to the facilities of the Mauritanian Electricity Company (SOMELEC).
This strategic project—the first of its kind in the country—aims to control electricity production costs, strengthen the competitiveness of the industrial, mining, and agricultural sectors by providing reliable energy, create employment opportunities, transfer technical expertise to Mauritanian engineers and technicians, reduce pollution, and pursue the sustainable exploitation of the nation’s abundant renewable energy resources.
The plant will also help address the current shortfall in electricity generation capacity, contribute to the energy transition, reduce dependence on fossil fuels, improve access to reliable and more affordable electricity, and support economic development and industrialization.
The project is financed by several private institutions, including the project developer IWA Energy with a 20% share, alongside the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the African Development Bank (AfDB), and the Mauritanian People’s Bank (BPM), which together hold an 80% share. It will operate under a 15-year concession agreement, after which full ownership of the plant will be transferred to SOMELEC.
This hybrid power plant capitalizes on Mauritania’s exceptional natural resources, as the country possesses some of the world’s highest solar and wind energy potential, providing particularly favorable conditions for the large-scale development of renewable energy infrastructure.
The launch of this project reflects the Mauritanian authorities’ commitment to accelerating the energy transition, reducing reliance on imported fossil fuels, and strengthening the security of electricity supply for the population and the national economy.
Construction of the project, which aligns with the government’s strategy to expand the use of renewable energy, is expected to last approximately twelve months, with commercial operations scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 2026.
This landmark project establishes a new pathway for transforming the electricity sector through an approach based on private-sector investment in electrical infrastructure and the consolidation of energy sovereignty, enabling the implementation of major energy projects without recourse to external loans, foreign debt, or state budget expenditures.