- The project marks a milestone in the country’s drive to expand electricity generation through private financing
By Ejekwu Chidiebere
Energy Window International (Media) Mauritania has announced signing into action its first independent power producer contract, a $300 million agreement with Iwa Green Energy to develop a 60-megawatt hybrid solar-wind power plant.
It has been gathered that the project would set the stage in the country’s drive to expand electricity generation through private financing while accelerating its transition to renewables. The facility which is scheduled to come onstream in September 2026 is expected to boost Mauritania’s installed capacity of about 450 megawatts.
“This project with private actors demonstrates their confidence in the Mauritanian government’s commitment to diversifying the production base and providing sustainable energy sources to serve the economy,” says Economy and Finance Minister Sid’Ahmed Ould Bouh at the signing ceremony in Nouakchott.
Mauritania relies heavily on imported fuels despite its vast renewable energy potential, with just about 10 percent of rural households connected to electricity according to news sources. It was also gathered that the government has already set certain ambitious goals under President Mohamed Ould Cheikh El Ghazouani’s energy transition plan, targeting universal electricity access and 70 percent renewable generation by 2030.
EWI Publishers gathered that the project was one of the first to be developed under the Desert to Power initiative’s Independent Power Producer Joint Protocol, a regional framework backed by the African Development Bank to attract private capital through standardized investment terms across 11 Sahel countries.
Energy Minister Mohamed Ould Khaled stressed that the fully private financing model would allow the country to expand supply without adding to public debt.
Daniel Schroth, Director of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency at the African Development Bank, said Mauritania had taken the bull by the horns as it has taken one major step in applying the Desert to Power Joint Protocol, illustrating its relevance as a tool for accelerating the implementation of IPP projects in the Sahel.
“This project will contribute to the goals of the Desert to Power Initiative and Mauritania’s Mission 300.”
EWI Publishers recall the project as part of a continent-wide shift by some governments in Africa to increasingly turn to independent power producers to mobilize investment and scale renewable projects while reducing pressure on public finances.