Mauritania seeking consulting firm to support solar mini-grids in rural areas

Mauritania’s ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency has launched the search for a consulting firm that will support the roll-out of green mini-grids in rural parts of the country.

The ECOWAS Centre for Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (ECREEE) actively supports Mauritania’s renewable energy goals, particularly in rural electrification via green mini-grids and promoting clean energy technologies, working with partners like the African Development Bank on projects such as developing solar photovoltaic (PV) and hybrid solutions for rural areas.

The invitation to tender says the chosen consultants will provide implementation assistance that supports the electrification of priority rural localities in Mauritania through solar PV or hybrid mini-grids.

The assignment falls under the Desert-to-Power (DtP) Regional Technical Assistance Project for the Sahel (ReTAPS), which is working to advance solar projects across the Sahel region of north-central Africa.

Responsibilities of the selected consulting firm will include feasibility analysis and the preparation of both project documents and financial models, over an estimated period of six months. Works will be covered by funding from the African Development Bank (AfD). The deadline to submit expressions of interest is October 17.

The Desert-to-Power initiative, which first launched in 2018, aims to deploy 10 GW of solar across 11 countries through a combination of on-grid and off-grid solutions by 2030. Mauritania is one of the target countries for the first phase of the program, alongside Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Niger, Nigeria and Senegal.

Last month, a report from the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) highlighted that solar-powered energy sources could help lower energy costs and bring more resilience to Mauritania’s fishing value chain.