Polish company’s invest in hydrogen and ammonia in Mauritania

Hynfra p.s.a. together with  Mauritania’s  iron company Mauritania  Green Ammonia SARL are initiating a large-scale project to build a green hydrogen and ammonia plant together with the Government of the Islamic Republic of Mauritania. The relationship between Hynfra and the Government of Mauritania was initiated by the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH).

A Memorandum of Understanding

On 4th March 2024, the Ministry of Petroleum, Mining and Energy of Mauritania signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Polish-Mauritanian consortium of Hynfra and Mauritania Green Ammonia (MGA). The aim of the initiated cooperation is to launch an installation for the production of green hydrogen and ammonia. This is one of the ambitious plans of the African country. Mauritania wants to be a leader in the production and export of green hydrogen and its derivatives by 2030.

Details of the investment

The agreement grants the consortium priority access to a 10 square kilometre study area located in the southern zone of the Somelec wind farm.

The project provides for the construction of installations with a total capacity of electrolysers ranging from 120 to 200 MW and renewable energy sources with a capacity of up to 500 MW. This will enable the production of around 100,000 tonnes of green ammonia per year. The total cost of developing and building the plant is estimated to be around $1.5 billion. The project also provides for the development of a certified green industrial zone. This will enable companies to operate in a carbon-free energy ecosystem.

With this project, Mauritania will become one of the first African countries to produce and use green hydrogen. “This will contribute to the development of the domestic clean chemical compound industry, such as e-fuels or green fertilizers. The plant has the potential to meet National and sub-regional demand for products that have so far been imported, expensive and have a high carbon footprint,” said Nani Ould Chrougha, Minister of Petroleum, Mining and Energy of Mauritania.

The project also aims to lay the foundations for the development of the local economy. It increase employment opportunities and strengthen Mauritania’s position as a leader in green energy technologies.

PAIH’s support

The relationship between Hynfra and the Government of Mauritania was initiated by the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH):

At the beginning of 2023, Tomoho Umeda (founder and CEO of Hynfra and Hynfra Energy Storage – editor’s note Trade.gov.pl) presented me with Hynfra’s offer and turned to PAIH’s Foreign Trade Office in Casablanca with a request for help in promoting Hynfra’s business model and finding a suitable business partner in the region. Since then, we have held a number of meetings and after many months of effort, the Polish-Mauritanian company Mauritania Green Ammonia SARL was established. It is a great success that today we are returning from Nouakchott (the capital of Mauritania – editor’s note Trade.gov.pl) full of optimism about the prospects of cooperation in the implementation of a factory for green hydrogen and its derivatives in Mauritania. The MoU signed today will represent a huge milestone in this strategic endeavour.

Jan Bochniak, Business Development Manager of PAIH’s Foreign Trade Office in Casablanca.

Hynfra specialises in the development of green hydrogen projects and has extensive experience and recognised technical and operational competence.  The company cooperates with local governments as well as with industrial and chemical entities.

Mauritania Green Ammonia Sarl is a subsidiary of Hynfra. It was founded in 2023. Its mission is to develop global green ammonia plants, with a particular focus on the potential of the North West African market.

Source: Hynfra.pl