Mauritania secures $289.5 million for solar projects, interconnection line

The authorities in Mauritania have obtained $289.5 million of financing for two solar projects, including a $272 million loan – the largest ever granted to the country by the African Development Bank – for a recently approved 225 kV electricity interconnection.

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Mauritania has secured a total of $289.5 million to develop two solar power generation and transmission projects.

The lion’s share of the funds will go toward a recently approved 225 kV electricity interconnection linking Mauritania to Mali as part of the Desert to Power Initiative. It is being financed by a $272 million loan from the African Development Bank, alongside a $1.5 million grant from the Green Climate Fund.

The second project, Rural Areas Sustainable Development for Productive and Energy Investments (RIMDIR), has received a $16 million grant from the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA). RIMDIR will improve access to electricity in 40 localities across southeastern Mauritania through the installation of hybrid mini PV plants and the construction of connecting lines to link the power plants to the villages.

“There can be no sustainable, diversified economic growth without high-quality, reliable electricity that is accessible to all,” said Abdelssalam Mohamed Saleh, Mauritania's minister of economy and sustainable development. “Within this framework, the government has drawn up ambitious programs seeking to guarantee access to electricity for all citizens by 2030, and this requires the optimal exploitation of the energy sources available in the country, to which this financing from the African Development Bank will contribute.”

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Malinne Blomberg, the deputy director general for North Africa at the African Development Bank, said the two initiatives will improve people's daily lives by introducing new opportunities for environmentally friendly development, sustainable investments, and jobs.

“They attest to the excellence of our relations with Mauritania, which they help to strengthen,” added Blomberg.

In November, Denmark's GreenGo launched the Megaton Moon project in Mauritania, a 60 GW solar-wind power installation combined with 35 GW of green hydrogen production. It will be built in several stages, with the first pilot phase being expected to be finalized in 2028.

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