The African Development Bank (AfDB) is supporting Mauritania in accelerating its transition to sustainable energy through the Africa Energy Transition Catalyst and the Africa Energy Sector Technical Assistance Program (AESTAP), initiatives housed under the Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA). On 14-15 April 2026, a high-level validation workshop was convened in Nouakchott to review and finalise auction procedures for green hydrogen and its derivatives.
The workshop forms part of the AfDB's "Support to Mauritania Green Hydrogen Sector Development Programme," the Bank's first technical assistance initiative focused on green hydrogen on the continent. The programme is designed to equip Mauritania's Ministry of Energy and Petroleum with the tools required to structure and scale the sector.
"Mauritania is positioning itself as a future leader in green hydrogen development in Africa," said Wale Shonibare, AfDB Director for Energy Financial Solutions, Policy and Regulation. "Through this support, the African Development Bank is helping to lay the regulatory and institutional foundations needed to attract private capital, drive industrial transformation, and contribute to global decarbonization efforts," he added.
Since its launch in April 2025, the programme has focused on designing a fit-for-purpose green hydrogen auction framework; establishing a country-specific legal and regulatory foundation; developing standardised bidding documents and templates; and defining a clear roadmap for auction implementation. Together, these workstreams represent a critical step in moving Mauritania from strategic ambition to bankable project execution.
Taghiya Abdelrahman, head of the Low Carbon Hydrogen Directorate at the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, said Mauritania was committed to establishing a transparent, competitive, and investor-friendly framework for developing its green hydrogen sector.
"This auction mechanism represents a critical step toward unlocking our country's vast renewable energy potential and translating it into sustainable industrial growth, job creation, and long-term economic value," she said.
Capacity Building and Institutional Coordination
The validation workshop was preceded by targeted capacity-building sessions to strengthen the technical readiness of Mauritanian public institutions. These covered three core areas: auction design, including the structuring of competitive procurement for green ammonia and green steel; infrastructure planning for hydrogen hubs and long-term system sustainability; and financial structuring for green hydrogen and power-to-X projects with particular attention to risk allocation.
These sessions built upon earlier training delivered in July and November 2025.
More than 25 senior representatives participated in the event, spanning the full green hydrogen value chain. Attendees included officials from the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, the Ministry of Environment, the Ministry responsible for State Domains, the Ministry in charge of Ports, the Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière, and the Société Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures. The strong institutional participation underscores the government's commitment to building a coordinated and investment-ready hydrogen ecosystem.
Freda Opoku, the AfDB Project Task Manager, described the workshop as "a critical milestone" in translating Mauritania's green hydrogen ambitions into a structured, competitive, and bankable procurement framework.
"By combining robust auction design with targeted capacity building, we are ensuring that public institutions are equipped to engage effectively with private investors and deliver scalable, investment-ready projects," she stated.
Mauritania has set a target of producing 12.5 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually by 2035 and is a member of the Africa Green Hydrogen Alliance, alongside Egypt, Kenya, Morocco, Namibia, and South Africa
Feedback gathered during the workshop will be incorporated into the final auction framework and its supporting documentation. This will pave the way for the operationalisation of Mauritania's green hydrogen procurement strategy as a frontier market for large-scale green hydrogen development in Africa.
