Abu Dhabi's future energy company Masdar on Wednesday announced that it has passed the halfway-mark in its project to construct a 16.6 MW solar power plant network in Mauritania. The project, launched in December 2015, envisages a network of eight solar power plants that will almost double the United Arab Emirates's contribution to Mauritania's renewable energy capacity to a total of 31.6 MW.The plants will supply 30 per cent of the electricity demand to the remote communities of Boutilimit, Aleg, Aioune, Akjoujt, Atar, El Chami, Boulenour and Bani Chab, reducing their dependency on diesel-fuelled generators, decreasing annual fuel costs and lowering carbon dioxide emissions. None of these communities are currently connected to the national grid.
"Masdar operates across the whole clean energy chain, from developing utility-scale projects to deploying off-grid solutions. In Mauritania, we are executing a project, furthering the UAE's historic role as a supporter of clean energy access around the globe," Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, said. Mauritanian national electricity provider Societe Mauritanienne d'Electricite, SOMELEC, selected Masdar as the preferred partner for the project based on the successful delivery of the 15 MW Sheikh Zayed Solar Power Plant in the capital city of Nouakchott. "Our capacity for efficient delivery under challenging conditions is the reason why we were assigned this project in Mauritania," Khaled Ballaith, Director of Masdar Special Projects, said.