Megaton Moon - a 190TWh Green Energy Park in Mauritania Set to Transform the Country and Provide NetZero Action at Scale

December 01, 2023

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(GreenGo Energy) GreenGo Energy has filed an application to Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines in Mauritania for the development of one of the world’s largest green energy parks. Megaton Moon will through a unique architecture and strategic location to the capitol enable truly transformative potential for Mauritania in terms of socioeconomic, green industrial, green farming and urban development. The new paradigm will be abundant, low-cost water and green energy - in the capital city and the desert.

Megaton Moon is planned for a staged implementation process closing the circular architecture to reach 60GW/190TWh of hybrid solar and wind generation and 35GW electrolysis producing 4 million tons of green hydrogen yearly or further processed 18 million tons of green ammonia. The staged implementation targets COD of first pilot stage by 2028 and last stage by 2033-2035.

Karsten Nielsen, CEO of GreenGo Energy comments:

“The climate crisis is real. We need action immediately to reach Paris commitments and NetZero. But we also need action at scale and with impact! Megaton Moon embodies climate action with an ambition to deliver 1% of the total global green hydrogen demand by 2050[1] to reach NetZero. So - we only need one hundred projects at this scale completed and distributing green fuels globally by 2050. This is doable.“

Meeting with the Energy Minister in Nouakchott

Last week a delegation from GreenGo Energy met with a delegation from the Energy Ministry under Minister of Petroleum, Energy and Mines, HE Nani O. Chrougha, to discuss the project application and value proposition. The Ministry expressed appreciation and sincere interest in the Megaton Moon project and presented the mature status on drafting of the green hydrogen law with expectations for approval first quarter of 2024.

“Our government is very pleased with the Megaton Moon project, in particular the elements that will foster massive development potential for our country”, says Ibrahima Diagana, Country Manager for GreenGo Energy in Mauritania, and also an industry veteran within oil and gas in the region.

Mauritania ideally positioned to both transform and contribute to NetZero

Karsten Nielsen, CEO of GreenGo Energy comments:

“Mauritania is ideally positioned to become one of the future world green hydrogen production hubs for a range of strong reasons. Mauritania holds some of the best solar and wind resource cross in the world, large areas of suitable flat land and coastal proximity for water and shipping. Green hydrogen production cost is half of Northern Europe, potentially lower. Furthermore, the region has some of the most operator-friendly fiscal policies on the continent, as documented by a history of significant oil and gas investments by world energy majors. Proximity to load centers in EU is an additional benefit.“

Spike agricultural, industrial and urban development by abundant low-cost power and water - in the desert

Desert Farming, Green Industry and Urban Development enabled by abundant low-cost green power and water - in the desert.

The project will utilize the 10TWh+ surplus power to facilitate development of a large scale, local desert farming industry, establish a new green industry including local supply chain attracted by the new paradigm of abundant low-cost green energy and water.

More than 70 million tons of desalinated water will be generated yearly to facilitate this development, or triple of what is consumed in the Megaton facility itself for green fuel production. The combination holds the potential to catapult Nouakchott and Mauritania into a prosperous development cycle.

Furthermore, the project intends to spark urban development through partners also driven by the new paradigm of abundant low-cost energy and water resources.

Vast areas of hybrid sun/wind power generation, the residential area, agricultural farms and PtX facilities.

The vision is to transform the capital Nouakchott and the country by sparking significant socioeconomic, green industrial and urban development. Furthermore, to implement a permanent and 100% sustainable solution for the crucial water, power and energy scarcity that has historically been a constant for Nouakchott and Mauritania in general.

“Implementing significant scale to improve both project economics and at the same time enable transformative development for a country or region embodies our purpose as a company. Megaton Moon shall help millions of people", says Karsten Nielsen, CEO of GreenGo Energy.

Project development, financing and execution

Project development is in progress fully leveraging the development platform at GreenGo Energy in Denmark, benefitting from experience gathered from the further progressed Megaton sister-project in Denmark. Project engineering and development partners are COWI on PtX and infrastructure design, and New Power Partners supports renewable energy engineering design as an extended arm to GreenGo Energy’s global development, design and engineering team.

“Developing a project of this magnitude requires close cooperation with the supply chain and the offtake partners. To ensure that the supply chain is in place the Megaton project will be implemented in three main stages each comprising five to ten building blocks. In addition, the projects size is set to attract the establishment of local production of PV panels, wind turbine blades and electrolysis components on which we are currently negotiating MoU’s with manufactures”

“Provided that the project is approved in due time the first hydrogen and ammonia can be produced by 2028 while the full facility can be in place by 2033", says Anders Heine Jensen, Head of Global Megaton Development.

Finally, GreenGo Energy is committed to implement a substantial local educational and vocational training program. Development of the program has already been initiated with the Zealand Business College (ZBC) in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The project will be financed through GreenGo Energy’s entrenched partnership approach with Tier1 investors in the green energy space, where GreenGo Energy will deliver the project through its 360-degree full services platform, leveraging a long track record of project delivery.
[1] IEA, BNEF

About GreenGo Energy Group A/S
GreenGo Energy was founded in 2011 with the vision to accelerate the conversion to renewable energy generation, by an innovative and scalable business model. GreenGo Energy’s 360-degree full services platform includes project origination, investment structuring, development, offtake, EPC management and asset management services, fully tailored and bespoke to our client’s needs and their investment profile.

GreenGo Energy has 75 GW of solar, wind, BESS and Megaton PtX projects in various stages of development and construction in nine U.S. states, Europe and Africa/MENA, of which more than 6 GW has been contracted through partnership framework agreements with Tier-1 investors in the renewable energy space.

GreenGo Energy is headquartered in Denmark, with 125 employees serving customers worldwide. READ MORE