Development partners have committed to mobilize funding for a $900 million multinational power transmission line between Mauritania and Mali, connecting 620,000 people to electricity.
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The partners made the commitment at a roundtable in the Mauritanian capital, Nouakchott, on 17 July 2023. The discussions explored funding options for the project, which also entails developing solar power stations.
The African Development Bank Group, which has worked closely with both countries to prepare the project, affirmed its interest in co-funding.
The project aligns with the Bank Group’s Desert-to-Power initiative, which is set to become the world's largest area of solar power generation.
The initiative will increase solar production capacity by 100 M. It will also strengthen and extend distribution networks covering nearly 1,500 km of high-voltage (225 kV) lines.
Mauritania’s Minister of Economy and Sustainable Development, Abdessalam Ould Mohamed Saleh, noted: “The strategic nature of this project will have a strong transformative effect on the economy while creating a connection to the Senegal River Basin Development Organization’s grid.”
The project constitutes an essential link in the regional electricity distribution system known as the “trans-Sahel spine,” which is currently being studied.
It will link Mauritania to Chad, passing through three other landlocked countries; Burkina Faso, Niger and Mali. The 225 kV line will connect new renewable energy parks to the sub-region’s power grid.
The African Development Bank Group has operated in Mauritania for over 50 years in various strategic development areas, including agriculture, governance, water and sanitation, mining, private sector, transport and social issues, with an active portfolio of more than $140 million.
The Bank Group is also active in several economic sectors in Mali, namely transport, agriculture, energy, water and sanitation, finance, governance, and climate change. Its current portfolio in the country totals $723 million. ■
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