Energy Minister: Mauritania is hard at work to become a regional hub for the production of green hydrogen and green steel
The Minister of Petroleum, Mines and Energy, Mr. Abdessalam Ould Mohamed Saleh said that Mauritania seeks to develop a far-reaching vision to make Mauritania a regional hub in the field of energy, by launching ambitious projects for producing gas, green hydrogen and green steel.
The Minister delivered the statement at a panel discussion on the prospects for oil and gas in Mauritania by 2040, organized yesterday in Nouakchott, by the economic magazine, Financial Afrik and the consulting firm, “Meen & Meen”.
Speaking on that occasion, the minister highlighted that Mauritania has large gas capacities exceeding 100 trillion cubic feet, in addition to great potentials of renewable energies, especially that of wind and solar.
During his presentation of this strategy, the minister added that his department has put into place a thorough plan for the development of the energy sector by 2030, divided into several strategic stages, in a way that contributes to accomplishing the comprehensive objectives of this vision, he said.
The minister explained that this operational plan includes achieving important steps in this direction by 2026, most notably the implementation of gas-to-power projects, the signing of many agreements to develop green hydrogen projects, and the launch of works to develop the BirAllah field, inter alia.
He stressed that the second phase of the operational plan will see, from 2027 on, the start of the exploitation of the Birallah field and the second phase of the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim field, in addition to launching the activities of many green hydrogen projects, emphasising that the overall goal of this vision is to provide, by 2030, clean electricity to all Mauritanian citizens and at affordable prices.
He highlighted that this plan could transform Mauritania, within 10 years, into a regional hub for the production of gas, green hydrogen and green steel.
Taking the floor after him, the representative of the private sector in the forum, Mr. Mohamed Abdallah Ould Yaha, (CEO of the “MAURILOG” group), affirmed that the private sector has accompanied the international companies exploiting oil and gas in Mauritania since the launch of these activities in 2005, noting in this context that the mauritanian private operators have proved their ability to provide all the services required in this field, despite the high quality standards imposed by international giants.
He explained that the efficiency and seriousness of those actors made the international companies operating in Mauritania dependent on the services of the national private sector, instead of using international companies, noting that several advanced countries with a far bigger experience in the field of oil and gas industries than Mauritania have not yet been able to localize services in this sector.
Ould Yaha stressed the need to provide a training and vacational education programs for Mauritanian youth, in order to empower them and help them acquire the technical and linguistic expertise and skills necessary for them in order to be integrated into the oil and gas sector.
The session, which was moderated by the expert Mohamed Hassan Mbaireek, CEO of Meen & Meen, was marked by the participation of many international experts and consultants in the energy field.
