Mauritania and Italy have strengthened their renewable energy partnership with discussions centered on Italian investment in a €2.5 billion green hydrogen and ammonia project, designed to supply clean energy from West Africa to Europe, reports EnergyCapital&Power.
The talks were held between Mohamed Salem Ould Merzoug, Mauritania’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Cooperation and Mauritanians Abroad, and Antonio Tajani, Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
At the heart of the dialogue was the green hydrogen project developed by COIPA Energy, an Italian company that signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Mauritania’s Ministry of Energy and Petroleum last year. The large-scale initiative will harness solar and wind power to produce hydrogen through electrolysis. The hydrogen will then be converted into ammonia, stored at the production site, and transported via pipeline to the Port of Nouakchott for export.
The project aims to position Mauritania as a major clean energy exporter, leveraging its abundant renewable resources and strategic proximity to Europe.
Both sides also discussed broader collaboration opportunities in renewable energy, along with partnerships in security, agriculture, and health.
The opening of the Italian Embassy in Nouakchott last year has further strengthened bilateral relations, paving the way for greater diplomatic and economic cooperation.
These talks come as European and North African nations intensify their focus on regional energy security and low-carbon transition, with major energy firms and national oil companies set to engage in discussions at the upcoming Libya Energy Summit.
