Building upon the Memorandum of Understanding signed last year, the project will now enter the next phase. The latest agreement was signed with Mauritania Green Ammonia, a special-purpose company established by the Polish company.
After feasibility studies are carried out, the project will enter the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) phase and secure environmental assessments and the permitting process in 2027-28. The plant is scheduled to go into operation by 2030.
Located in the southern zone of the Somelev wind farm near Nouakchott, the facility is expected to deliver 100,000 tonnes of green ammonia per year once operational.
Green ammonia from the $1.5bn project will be exported via Mauritania’s largest port, Port de l’Amitié.
The development includes a photovoltaic solar plant and wind farm to power the electrolyser, alongside supporting infrastructure such as water desalination, energy storage, and dedicated export facilities.
“Mauritania, thanks to the combination of high solar irradiation and strong, stable winds, has some of the best conditions in the world for the development of renewable energy,” said Tomoho Umeda, Hynfra President and General Director of MGA.
“Combined with a century of Polish experience in ammonia synthesis, this creates a unique opportunity to build a project of global significance.”
The project comes as international developers increasingly eye North Africa as a green hydrogen hub for Europe, leveraging vast land and renewable resources.
Companies including CWP Global, TotalEnergies, Masdar and GM Hydrogen are also pursuing projects in Mauritania.
CWP’s 30GW renewables project, targeting up to 10 million tonnes of green ammonia annually, faced uncertainty earlier this year over buyer demand, but CEO Mark Crandall has since reaffirmed the plans.
Hynfra’s initiative is supported by the country’s 2024 Hydrogen Code – one the “most advanced legislative frameworks worldwide.”
Umeda said, “All this is possible thanks to the vision of the Mauritanian government and its Hydrogen Code.”
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