Mauritania Leverages Gas Resources for Energy Access Transformation
Mauritania is advancing plans to use domestic gas resources to improve electricity access, leveraging gas from the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim field located offshore on the maritime border with Senegal. The strategy aims to shift from heavy fuel oil to cleaner, more reliable energy sources while reducing electricity costs.
The GTA gas field, operated by bp and Kosmos Energy, holds an estimated 424.75 billion cubic meters of recoverable gas. Mauritanian authorities plan to channel 20-25% of GTA’s output into domestic gas-to-power initiatives, including two independent power producer projects delivering a combined 550 MW to the national grid.
Beyond GTA, the BirAllah field located 50 kilometers north contains reserves estimated at 2,265 billion cubic meters. Following bp’s departure, Mauritania is seeking new partners to advance the project toward a final investment decision in late 2025, with production targeted for 2030.
The government has also secured partnerships for the Banda and Tevet fields through agreements with Taqa Arabia and Go Gas Holding, along with national utility Somelec and mining company SNIM. Gas from these fields will fuel existing and new power plants, increasing total installed capacity by 300 MW.
Source: energycapitalpower.com
