Mauritania is looking to fully privatise its power generation sector, with bids expected in the next two to three weeks for a new 550 MW power plant linked to the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas project.
Speaking at the Invest in African Energy 2025 Forum in Paris, Mauritania’s Minister of Petroleum and Energy, Mohamed Ould Khaled said the country’s power generation capacity will be run by private companies.
“All new power generation projects in Mauritania will be private”, Minister Ould Khaled said.
“State-owned companies will no longer be involved in power generation,” he said, adding the country has introduced a new local content policy and implemented new PPP (public-private partnership) and investment codes.
Khaled also stated that Mauritania is seeking bids in the next two to three weeks for a new 550 megawatt (MW) power plant tied to the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) liquefied natural gas (LNG) project through a public-private partnership (PPP).
Two projects, developed as IPPs, will be fuelled by domestic gas and contribute 550 MW to the national grid over the next couple of years.
The power sector reform is part of a broader transformation to enable Mauritania to harness its gas and renewable energy resources to power industrialisation.
“We want to develop large-scale natural gas and renewable energy resources.
“We want to expand affordable, clean power access to our people and industries and power inclusive economic growth, especially to unleash our mining potential”, Minister Khaled told the Forum.
Mauritania currently has 57% electricity access and aims to reach full national coverage by 2030.
According to the Minister, the GTA gas project, developed jointly with Senegal, will play a major role, fuelling a 250 MW combined-cycle power plant in each country as part of its first phase.
“We have opened up the electricity sector to private investments, introduced a new local content policy, and implemented new PPP and investment codes.
“Additionally, we have launched Africa’s first green hydrogen code, which provides clarity and long-term stability for investors,” he added.
Mauritania, located in northwest Africa, is seeking to expand the BirAllah conventional gas field and the subsequent phases of the GTA project to reach 10 million tonnes of LNG per year.
