Harnessing the Saharan Sun
Summary
The Mauritania Solar Power Project is the largest of its kind in the region, with 156,000 solar panels stretching 600,000 square meters across the Sahara, harvesting enough sun energy to power 15% of the nation’s electricity needs while pioneering green innovation.
How it works
Burning fossil fuels releases prehistoric carbon back into our atmosphere, which is by far the biggest reason for our changing climate. Sponsoring solar power generation in regions where this form of energy is not yet commercially viable replaces fossil fuels faster.
Despite the abundance of sun in most African countries, especially Mauritania, lack of access to technology still makes coal the cheapest form of power available. Carbon financing closes the funding gap and kickstarts the technology transfer needed to make renewable energy competitive.
Why we chose it
We chose this project because of its transformational power in the region. Two thirds of Mauretanians don’t have access to electricity. There's a strong need to expand the grid, cleanly. But domain expertise in solar power has been missing. The Toujounine plant partnered with a local university to offer solar power engineering courses and on-site training, bringing technical knowledge and hands-on experience to the new generation.
Project photos
Project fact sheet
Location
| Project name | Large scale grid connected solar PV project in Toujounine (Nouakchott) |
|---|---|
| Active since | 2018 |
| Certification | Verified Carbon Standard |
| Project developer | Aera Group |
| Technical document | Aera Group |
| Project design validated by | TÜV Nord |
| Credits verified by | Earthood Services |
| Registry entry | Verra Registry |
| Read more | Klima Blog |