AfDB Strengthens Desert To Power Initiative To Light Up Africa

The African Development Bank (AfDB) has identified the potential of three project implementation contracts with the Manantali Energy Management Company (SOGEM), marking a major milestone in the implementation of the 225 kV Mauritania-Mali Power Interconnection Project.

The contracts were signed with SOGEM, the entity within the Senegal River Basin Development Organization responsible for delivering major electrification projects.

The project is part of the African Development Bank Group’s Desert to Power Initiative, which aims to generate 10 gigawatts of solar energy to provide electricity access to 250 million people across eleven countries in the Sahel region, stretching from Senegal in the west to Djibouti in the east of Africa. It also contributes to the objectives of Mission 300- a joint initiative of the African Development Bank Group and the World Bank Group, aimed at providing electricity access to 300 million people across Africa by 2030.

The 225 kV Mauritania–Mali Power Interconnection Project involves the construction of a 225 kV high-voltage transmission line linking several strategic areas between Mauritania and Mali to improve the reliability of electricity supply, facilitate energy trade between the two countries, and contribute to the stability of their national power grids.

The signings mark a significant step forward in the implementation of this project, which will help strengthen regional energy connectivity and support economic and social development in both Mauritania and Mali.

The three agreements, signed by SOGEM’s Chief Executive Officer, Julien Charles Bernard Sagna, and the contracting companies, will enable the construction of the 225 kV double-circuit high-voltage transmission line linking Kiffa–Tintane–Yélimané, a key corridor connecting Mauritania and Mali, to facilitate cross-border electricity trade.

Mauritania’s Minister of Economic Affairs and Development Abdallah Ould Souleymane Cheikh Sidiya, Minister of Energy and Petroleum Mohamed Ould Khaled and Malinne Blomberg, African Development Bank Group Country Manager for Mauritania, were present for the ceremony.

The agreements also cover the construction works for the 225 kV double-circuit high-voltage Tintane–Aioun transmission line, aimed at strengthening Mauritania’s national grid and improving access to electricity in the targeted areas. The agreements also include supervision and monitoring services for the works to ensure technical compliance, quality standards, and timely implementation of the project.

Lauding the project as an “electric line of hope,” Mohamed Ould Khaled emphasized that the launch of the project lays the foundation for a more integrated regional electricity market “capable of supporting economic growth and sustainably improving the living conditions of the population.”

“The launch of the project illustrates the African Development Bank’s continued commitment to supporting Sahel countries in achieving their universal electricity access goals by 2030,” said Malinne Blomberg.

Overall, the project will deliver a 1,373-kilometre interconnection line linking the electricity grids of the two countries. It will promote regional integration, facilitate renewable energy trade, particularly solar power, and support universal access to reliable and affordable electricity.

Beyond its technical scope, the project will help reduce electricity production costs, strengthen energy security, support the industrial and economic development of the areas served, and sustainably improve the living conditions of local populations. The project is expected to be completed by 2030.