Mauritania working to promote 28 offshore blocks open for bids
(World Oil) — African energy sector investment platform Energy Capital & Power (EPC) has created a coalition with Mauritania’s Energy Ministry and NOC to attract foreign stakeholder interest in the country’s potential renewable projects and 28 offshore blocks that are open for bids, EPC announced.
Sandra Jeque, International conference director for EPC, met with Ahmed Vall Mohameden, Adviser to the Minister for Cooperation and Communication, to form a strategy for a promotion of Mauritania’s blocks ahead of EPC’s flagship West African event, the MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power Conference. MSGBC refers to Mauritania, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau and Guinea-Conakry.
“African countries should stop acting alone and instead join forces towards the energy transition, building bridges of transnational cooperation for a more resilient regional grid,” Mohameden said.
Mauritania is examining the potential of using green hydrogen for a low-cost, reliable power supply, while they boast the second-highest volume of the MSGBC’s renewable energy per capita.
Renewables represent about a quarter of Mauritania’s fiscal energy consumption, with bioenergy, wind and solar respectively as the largest contributors. The country’s renewable energy per capita totals 27.535 Watts, but it is actively seeking to expand its works in this space.
MSGBC nations face the challenge of balancing the goals of energy decarbonization, supply volume and cost mediation. EPC hopes their event will give West African stakeholders a chance to reconnect, unifying their energy narrative for the region.
Mauritania has a record 28 new offshore blocks open for bids from interested parties, numbered 1 through 36 and surrounding the existing C-7, C-8, C-10, C-12, C-15 and C-31 blocks operated by BP, Cairn, Shell and TotalEnergies. This is a rich region for upstream exploitation with proven reserves, such as the 13 trillion cubic feet of natural gas discovered in C-8’s Bir Allah field and further 1 trillion cubic feet of natural gas held in the Banda gas field.
Discussions are underway regarding fast LNG development, with a 2023 start of production slated for BP’s $4.8 billion transnational Senegal-Mauritania Grand Tortue Ahmeyim field. Gas-to-power works connected to Banda field could commence as early as 2024.
EPC anticipates that its MSGBC Oil, Gas & Power event, which has the theme “The Future of Natural Gas: Growth Using Strategic Investment and Policymaking,” will attract investment delegations from the U.S., Australia, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
“West Africa’s power sector is at a tipping point where new major developments could see the MSGBC countries and economies thrive,” Jeque said. “We need robust strategies and unification of stakeholders to bring out this transformation, wherein the MSGBC conference will act as the keystone in these nations’ investment and development drive.”
For more information about the event, click here.
