Masdar has passed the halfway mark in its project to construct a 16.6 MW solar power plant network in the Islamic Republic of Mauritania.
Abu Dhabis future energy company broke ground on the project in December last year. When complete, the network of eight solar power plants will almost double the UAEs contribution to Mauritanias renewable energy capacity to a total of 31.6 MW.
The plants will supply 30 percent 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.
Mohamed Jameel Al Ramahi, CEO of Masdar, said: Delivery of this innovative network will bring electricity to thousands of families for the first time, changing their lives for the better and further enabling socio-economic development.
Mauritanian national electricity provider Société Mauritanienne delectricité (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.
At the time of its completion in 2013, this plant was the largest solar power installation in Africa and Mauritanias first utility-scale solar power project, accounting for more than 10 percent of the country grid-connected capacity.