John Cockerill secures a contract to hybridize 10 power plants in Mauritania
July 02nd 2026
John Cockerill has been awarded a contract to hybridize ten thermal power plants operated by SOMELEC, the Mauritanian Electricity Company, across Mauritania. Our Group will build ten new solar power plants combining photovoltaics and energy storage systems, thereby contributing to the modernization and long-term decarbonization of the country’s energy supply while reducing the energy bill.
Mid-April, during the State visit to France by the President of Mauritania, His Excellency Mohamed Ould Ghazouani, John Cockerill and SOMELEC formalized the signing of a key contract supporting Mauritania’s energy transition and decarbonization.
Financed by a concessional loan from France, this strategic project, led by John Cockerill in partnership with SOMELEC, provides for the hybridization of ten thermal power plants operated by SOMELEC, the country’s main public electricity provider.
John Cockerill will build ten solar plants consisting of nearly 15,000 photovoltaic panels with a power of 8MWc, 53 racks of energy storage batteries with a capacity of 13 MWh, and a Plant Management System, real conductor of the installation.
John Cockerill will also ensure the maintenance of these micro-grids over a ten-year period.
On each site, the new solar plants will be connected via fiber optics to the existing thermal plants, which are themselves equipped with generator sets. They will also be connected to the same microgrid as the present thermal power plants. A training facility is also foreseen in order to train SOMELEC teams and develop their skills in these new hybrid solar power plant architectures.
Early June, Jean Luc Maurange, CEO of John Cockerill, met with Khroumbaly Lehbib, CEO of SOMELEC, for the official contract notification, marking the launch of the execution phase of this ambitious project.
Within less than two years, the ten plants will be equipped with John Cockerill’s new solutions, which will significantly reduce the country’s dependence on fossil fuels and optimize energy management at isolated sites.
This contract supports Mauritania’s climate commitments, which, through its third Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC3), aims to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions by 75% by 2035. To achieve this, the country intends to fully leverage its significant renewable energy potential.
This large-scale structuring project for Mauritania’s energy transition benefits from strong support from local authorities and mobilizes the French expertise of John Cockerill.
Our teams will handle engineering, project management, and the operational maintenance of the equipment, in compliance with contractual requirements, while relying on recognized expertise in managing complex projects.
This project is a concrete illustration of our commitment to sustainable and competitive energy. It will strengthen the robustness and stability of the grid in a sustainable way and will significantly reduce electricity production costs with the saving of up to 3 million liters of diesel per year as soon as the installations are commissioned.
We would like to thank all the stakeholders who contributed to this success: the SOMELEC teams for their commitment, the Mauritanian and French authorities for their support, the French Treasury for financing the project, as well as our teams for their dedication and professionalism throughout the entire process.
