Open AccessAvailability of Renewable Energy Sources in Mauritania: Potential, Current Status and Mitigation Potential
Author(s) -
Cheikh Sidi Ethmane Kane,
Labouda Ba,
Gildas Tapsoba,
Marie–Christine Record,
Fanta Haidara
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of energy research and reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2581-8368
DOI - 10.9734/jenrr/2021/v8i230206
Subject(s) - renewable energy , fossil fuel , electricity generation , natural resource economics , environmental science , energy mix , energy development , environmental impact of the energy industry , electricity , energy subsidies , greenhouse gas , environmental protection , energy policy , waste management , economics , power (physics) , engineering , ecology , physics , quantum mechanics , electrical engineering , biology
For decades, Mauritania's economy has been fueled by thermal power. As a developing economy, Mauritania's electricity demand has long been relatively low, though it has increased recently due to economic growth, urbanization, and industrial activities. The rapid growth in demand is making the country more dependent on oil and gas-based generation power plants, which a resultant drain on the national economy. However, Mauritania has abundant renewable energy potential. the deployment of renewable energy can be an alternative solution to reduce the dependence on fossil resources. In this paper, we have reviewed the situation of the power generation sector, the potential of renewable energy, the integration of renewable energy in Mauritania's energy mix and the mitigation potential. The installed capacity in 2018 is 415.5 MW. The percentage of thermal power plants is 59.8% and 40.2% of the integrated capacity is provided by renewable energy. In 2018, the total electric power generation was 1958.5 GWh, the contribution of renewable energy was 979.75 GWh. The IPCC 2006 methodology was used to estimate GHG emissions. The results showed that the integration of renewable energy into the country's energy mix reduced emissions by approximately 212.58 Gg CO2eq.