Hydrogen, solar and wind resources together
The developer behind the Megaton Moon project says its plan to deploy 60GW of wind and solar power, alongside massive electrolyser capacity, will deliver one of the world’s largest green energy parks in Mauritania. GreenGo Energy has applied to the government of the West African country to deploy renewable energy sources as well as 35 GW of electrolyzers to be built in phases between 2028 and 2035.
Megaton Moon will provide 1 percent of total global green hydrogen demand by 2050, according to GreenGo. GreenGo did not say how much the massive plan would cost, saying it would be financed through a partnership approach. The firm has been operating since 2011 and has an existing renewable energy production pipeline of 27 GW, according to its website.
However, the size of the project will also bring about local production of PV panels, wind turbine blades and electrolysis components. Mauritania has some of the world’s best solar and wind resources, suitable flat lands, water resources and suitable coasts. Therefore, the cost of hydrogen production in the country is half that of Northern Europe, and potentially even lower. This advantage of Mauritania has also attracted other energy companies such as BP.