Mauritania's Ministry of Petroleum, Mining and Energy signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with a Polish-Mauritanian consortium comprising Hynfra and Mauritania Green Ammonia on 4 March. The cooperation that has been launched is aimed at setting up a green hydrogen and ammonia production facility. The initiative is part of the country's ambitious plans to become a leader in the production and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives by 2030.
The project's contractors will focus on harnessing Mauritania's rich natural resources, including solar and wind energy potential, to produce hydrogen and ammonia in a sustainable and environmentally friendly manner. The project envisages objectives beyond production, but also to lay the foundations for the development of the local economy, increase employment opportunities and strengthen Mauritania's position as a leader in green energy technology.
- The planned project will make Mauritania one of the first African countries to produce and use green hydrogen. It will contribute to the development of the country's clean-chemicals industry, such as e-fuels or green fertilisers. The plant has the potential to meet national and sub-regional demand for products that have hitherto been imported, expensive and have a high carbon footprint. - says Nani Ould Chrougha, Mauritania's Minister of Petroleum, Mining and Energy.
The project envisages the construction of plants with a total electrolysers capacity of 120 to 200 MW and renewable energy sources of up to 500 MW, which will enable the production of approximately 100,000 tonnes per year of green ammonia.
In the context of the agreement reached, Hynfra and Mauritania Green Ammonia have entered into a consortium to jointly implement the project.
- I am as proud as I am honoured to have signed today's MoU. This project gives us great distinction on the decarbonisation map of the world. It is becoming one of the key elements of Mauritania's energy strategy. Thanks to the expertise of Hynfra and MGA, combined with Mauritania's ideal climatic conditions, we have the opportunity to develop a green energy project on a very large scale. - says Tomoho Umeda, CEO of Hynfra and co-founder of Mauritania Green Ammonia.
Under this agreement, the Ministry of Petroleum, Mining and Energy of Mauritania has granted the consortium a priority right of access to a specific study area, consisting of 10 square kilometres of land located in the southern zone of the Somelec wind power plant.
The total cost of the development and construction of the plant is estimated to be approximately 1.5 billion United States dollars ("USD"). The project also envisages the development of a certified green industrial zone enabling companies to operate in a carbon-free energy ecosystem.
The relationship between Hynfra and the Mauritanian government was initiated by the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH), according to its representative, Jan Bochniak - At the beginning of 2023, Tomoho Umeda presented Hynfra's offer to me and approached the PAIH Foreign Trade Office in Casablanca with a request to help promote Hynfra's business model and find a suitable business partner in the region. Since then, we have had a number of meetings and after months of efforts, the Polish-Mauritanian company Mauritania Green Ammonia SARL was established. It is a great success that today we return from Nawakshut full of optimism about the prospects of working together to realise a green hydrogen plant and its derivatives in Mauritania. The MOU signed today will represent a huge milestone in this strategic endeavour.
Hynfra PSA specialises in the development of green hydrogen projects in Poland and internationally, with extensive experience and recognised technical and operational competence. The company works with local authorities, industrial and chemical entities.
Mauritania Green Ammonia Sarl is a subsidiary of Hynfra. It was founded in 2023 to develop green ammonia plants globally, with a particular focus on the potential of the North West African market.