Mauritania's current electricity consumption primarily relies on fossil fuels, accounting for about 59% of the total electricity supply. In contrast, low-carbon energy sources, which include hydropower, solar, and wind, supply a combined total of approximately 22%. Hydropower contributes a little over 10% to the energy mix, while solar and wind account for nearly 7% and 5%, respectively. Additionally, Mauritania imports about 19% of its electricity, highlighting a significant reliance on external sources. This current structure indicates that more than half of Mauritania's electricity originates from polluting, non-sustainable sources, emphasizing an urgent need for further development of clean, low-carbon technologies to reduce the country's dependence on fossil fuels and mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Is Electricity Growing in Mauritania?
Electricity consumption in Mauritania has shown a small but positive trend of growth, with the 2022 per capita consumption reaching 414 kWh, which is a slight increase of 12 kWh per person from the previous record in 2020. However, an area of concern is the generation of low-carbon electricity, which has decreased from its peak of 105 kWh per person in 2019 to 92 kWh in 2022. This reduction of 13 kWh per person indicates a decline in low-carbon electricity generation, which is troubling as it counters the global push for sustainable energy solutions. Thus, while there is a modest increase in overall electricity consumption, the country should focus on reversing the decline in low-carbon electricity to secure a more sustainable energy future.
Suggestions
To increase low-carbon electricity generation, Mauritania could look to successful examples from other nations. For instance, neighboring Morocco has made considerable strides in harnessing wind energy, generating about 21% of its electricity this way, demonstrating that similar climatic conditions can be leveraged effectively. Moreover, countries like Lebanon and Chile, which generate over 20% of their electricity from solar power, serve as inspirational models for solar development in Mauritania. Beyond solar and wind, incorporating nuclear energy could be transformative. Countries such as France and Slovakia lead the way, with nuclear power accounting for a substantial share of their electricity generation. Mauritania can thus learn from these examples to expand solar infrastructure and explore the potential of nuclear energy as a viable source of sustainable electricity.
History
Reflecting on the history of low-carbon electricity generation in Mauritania, the early 21st century saw minimal progress, with negligible contributions from hydropower until 2009, which saw a modest increase. Solar and wind energy made their appearance in 2013 but showed no immediate growth. Interestingly, a positive shift occurred in 2015 with the addition of wind power, although hydropower remained unchanged. While there was a minor setback in hydropower in 2016, solar energy took a step forward with a small increase in 2018. Since then, developments have been stagnant with no remarkable advancements in clean energy technologies in the subsequent years. This historical stagnation underscores the urgent need for concerted efforts to develop and implement robust strategies for increasing low-carbon electricity generation in Mauritania.
Electrification
We estimate the degree of electrification by comparing electricity and total energy emissions. More about methodology.