On July 1, 2026, Mauritania and ACWA Power signed agreements for the construction of the country’s first gas power plant. This project represents a major step in utilizing the national gas resources and modernizing the Mauritanian electrical system.
The agreements were signed in the presence of Mohamed Ould Khaled, Minister of Energy and Petroleum, Abdoulahi Ould Souleymane, Minister of Economy and Development, the Minister of Finance, Seyid Mouhamed Abou Neiyan, Chairman of the Board of ACWA Power, and the President of the Saudi Fund for Development.
The project involves the construction of a 230 MW combined-cycle power plant in N’Diago, powered by gas from the offshore Grand Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) field, jointly operated by Mauritania and Senegal. The plant will be developed under the Independent Power Producer (IPP) model, where a private investor finances, constructs, and operates the plant before selling electricity to the national grid.
The commissioning of this unit is expected to significantly increase the country’s production capacity and support the growing electricity consumption. The use of domestic gas is also expected to reduce the cost of electricity production and dependence on imported fuels.
The project is one of the first industrial applications of gas from GTA in Mauritania. It aligns with the authorities’ strategy to use part of the national gas resources to support economic development and enhance energy security.
For ACWA Power, this operation confirms its presence in West Africa. The Saudi group is among the world’s leading private developers of energy infrastructure, with a portfolio covering electricity production, renewable energies, desalination, and green hydrogen.
Beyond electricity production, this new capacity is expected to improve the supply conditions for households and businesses, while creating a more favorable environment for industrial investments. The availability of more competitive energy is indeed a key factor for the development of the mining, manufacturing, and service sectors.
This power plant comes at a time of accelerated energy investments in Mauritania, where the development of natural gas is expected to complement solar, wind, and green hydrogen projects initiated in recent years. The goal is to diversify the energy mix while strengthening the country’s capacity to meet domestic demand and future industrial needs.
