Adonis Pouroulis, CEO of Chariot, unpacked the reasons why Mauritania is an ideal location for green hydrogen production, the benefits of the partnership with Total Eren for the project, Chariot’s plans to contribute to the local community, and the challenges associated with scaling up production.
What factors contribute to Mauritania being regarded as a favorable jurisdiction for the production of green hydrogen?
Mauritania is one of the best jurisdictions to produce green hydrogen.
The country has excellent wind resources and high solar radiation, which complement each other well, a lot of land, and a huge coastline of water that can be tapped into.
Adonis Pouroulis, CEO of Chariot, unpacked the reasons why Mauritania is an ideal location for green hydrogen production, the benefits of the partnership with Total Eren for the project, Chariot’s plans to contribute to the local community, and the challenges associated with scaling up production.
What factors contribute to Mauritania being regarded as a favorable jurisdiction for the production of green hydrogen?
Mauritania is one of the best jurisdictions to produce green hydrogen because it has excellent wind resources and high solar radiation, which complement each other well, a lot of land, and a huge coastline of water that can be tapped into. These factors allow for the low-cost production of green hydrogen, making it a very competitive market. The government is championing the ongoing development of this sector in the country by encouraging transparency and collaboration, and Mauritania is also favorably located with direct export routes into Europe.
How does the partnership between Chariot and Total Eren benefit the development of Project Nour?
Total Eren, a Total Energies affiliate, has excellent connections around the world, particularly with off-takers for green hydrogen. The company also has a great research and development department in green hydrogen, and the partnership benefits from access to Total Energies’ dedicated technical team. The partnership is a 50/50 split between the two companies, and we are co-developing the project. We have completed the pre-feasibility studies and are currently in the feasibility study phase, which will provide more information on the technical and financial aspects of the project.
In what specific ways does Chariot intend to ensure that the local community in Mauritania derives tangible benefits from the development of Project Nour, taking into account the socio-economic and environmental aspects of the project?
Chariot plans to ensure that the local community in Mauritania benefits from Project Nour by creating job opportunities and supporting the development of the country’s infrastructure. The project will require skilled labor to build the infrastructure for the green hydrogen project, which will provide significant job creation in the build phase, followed by permanent employment opportunities to run various operations. Chariot and Total Eren have experience building projects on the African continent and understand the importance of transferring skills, educating, and investing in the local community. Progressing this project will result in substantial investment in the country.
What are some of the biggest challenges that Chariot faces in terms of scaling up the production of green hydrogen, and how is the company addressing these challenges?
The biggest challenge that Chariot faces in terms of scaling up the production of green hydrogen is the evolving nature of the market. While it is known that hydrogen must be in the mix to achieve carbon net zero, how it will be used is still evolving. The biggest challenge is determining where the majority of hydrogen use will go, but there will be a focus on hard-to-abate sectors. One industry that has been identified is the green steel industry, as current steel production is responsible for 8-12% of all carbon dioxide emissions. The green ammonia market will be important too. The creation of partnerships in financing and developing these large scale projects will also be key across the whole industry, but with up to 10 GW of installed electrolysis, Project Nour could become one of the top 10 green hydrogen projects in the world.
