• Project supports 2030 electrification goals and expanded renewable capacity

• National access remains 55%, with major urban-rural disparities

Mauritania and France have signed a concessional loan of more than 39 million euros to finance the construction of ten solar power plants with integrated storage systems. The agreement was signed in late November in Nouakchott by Mauritania’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Development and France’s Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Investment Promotion. The government statement did not specify planned capacity or project locations.

The agreement comes as Mauritania works to modernize its power sector to meet rising demand. The country aims for universal electricity access by 2030, which would mean connecting an additional 3.4 million people. To reach this goal, generation capacity must increase by 66 percent, with renewables expected to reach 70 percent of the power mix.

Authorities are pushing reforms to support this transition. The new electricity code modernizes sector governance by strengthening regulation, expanding rural electrification and gradually opening the market for direct sales to eligible customers. The government is also seeking support from development partners to help finance essential infrastructure.

Electrification needs remain high. The national electrification rate stands at 55 percent, with sharp disparities: 6 percent in rural areas compared to 91 percent in cities. In 2023, Mauritania produced 1.66 TWh of electricity, according to government data, for an installed capacity of 615.1 MW, 44.36 percent of which came from renewable sources. According to the International Energy Agency, the country ranked 29th in Africa for electricity production in 2023.

Mauritania has abundant energy resources. Its solar resources are among the strongest on the continent, at 2,000 to 2,300 kWh per square meter per year, and it has substantial wind potential, particularly near Nouadhibou.

The agreement with France will help kick-start the expansion the government is targeting, as it aims to mobilize 2.45 billion dollars in financing for the sector.

Abdoullah Diop