Description
Project Name: Toujounine
Project owner: Somelec
Standard: Verra VCS
Project ID: 1734
Built in only 13 months, Toujounine is the largest solar PV plant in the country. Mauritania wanted to achieve 20% of renewable energy in their energy mix by 2020, the Toujounine plant helped the country to reach this goal. The project features 156,000 solar panels installed on a previously unoccupied land. It allows the country to reduce fossil fuel importation. The plant has supplied 10% of the energy production in the country in 2019.
Toujounine large-scale solar farm substitutes grid electricity by clean and renewable energy and cutting down GHG emissions from baseline fossil fuel intensive grid mix (mostly gasoil/fuel oil). It serves as a paving example of renewable energy development in Mauritania. Interns from ‘Ecole des Métiers’, and students from Nouakchott University were offered on-site visitto promote renewable energy to the young generation.
Somelec is the national electricity provider in Mauritania. They ensure the production and distribution of electrical energy on the national territory. Their mission is to develop the use of green electrecity across the country. In 2020 they achieved a first milestone with 24% of their energy mix coming from green energy.
Impact
Mauritania grid is mainly powered by fossil fuel and imports.
The project develops green electricity and reinforce energy supply sovereignty.
The plant was build through advanced technology transfer from industrialized countries.
The project allowed to install the first large scale solar project in the country
Somelec used the local workforce to build the plant.
The project hired 100 local people for the construction phase and relies on permanent local technicians to ensure operation and maintenance.
Mauritania targeted 20% of renewable energy in the country’s energy mix by the year 2020.
The project helped the country to reach its target by producing their own green electricity.
