Mauritania has signed its first independent power producer contract, covering a 60 MW solar-wind hybrid project. Niger has signed a financing deal with the African Development Bank, which plans to develop 240 MW of solar energy by the end of the decade.
Mauritania has signed a $300 million deal with Dubai-based developer Iwa Green Energy for a 60 MW hybrid solar-wind power plant.
The deal is the first that Mauritania has signed with an independent energy producer. It is also one of the first projects developed under Desert to Power’s (DtP) Independent Power Producer Joint Protocol, a regional framework that aims to attract private capital in eleven Sahel countries and is supported by the African Development Bank (AfDB).
The facility is scheduled to be put into use in September next year. According to a statement published by the Mauritanian Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, a 15-year power purchase agreement has been signed with Mauritanian electricity company Somelec.
Iwa Green Energy will be responsible for all financial and technical aspects of the $300 million project, the ministry added.
AfDB added that the project is part of a continental shift where African governments are turning to independent energy producers to promote private investment and scale up sustainable projects to reduce pressure on public finances.
In the meantime, Niger and AfDB have entered into a $144.7 million financing agreement to improve energy access and private sector competitiveness in the country in the first phase of the Governance and Competitive Support Program in the Energy Sector (Pagsec).
AfDB says the funding will to increase access to electricity in Niger from 22.5% to 30% by 2026. A key part of this work will be the development of renewable energy capacity, with plans for 240 MW of solar energy by 2030, of which 50 MW by December 2026.
Other work under the program includes a renewed national energy policy to create more favorable conditions for private sector participation in mini-grid developments in rural areas, the bank said.
“This program will enable Niger to realize its enormous renewable energy potential while building governance systems that support inclusive and sustainable development,” the ADB statement added.
Last month, a report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) highlighted that solar energy sources could help reduce energy costs and bring greater resilience to Mauritania’s artisanal fishing value chain.
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