Accelerating Mauritania's industrial future with natural gas! According to Mohamed Naji Cheibani

Natural gas is not just a fuel in Mauritania - it could become the foundation of the country's industrial transformation.

EPCM Holdings recently carried out a technical and commercial feasibility study in partnership with the Mauritanian company Meen & Meen for a long-distance gas pipeline linking the GTA gas hub, via Nouakchott, to the port town of Nouadhibou, which specialises in iron ore exports, on behalf of SNIM (Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière).

This project is not just about transporting gas. It embodies a vision of integrated energy infrastructure serving the country's major industrial players, such as SNIM, SOMELEC and Kinross Tasiast, by providing reliable, competitive and cleaner energy.

Why is it important ?

• Priority to energy independence: Before Mauritania can benefit from its gas exports, it must first secure its domestic supply. Linking gas resources to major industries would reduce dependence on imported fuels, cut costs and strengthen energy resilience.
• Feeding industry locally: Energy is the missing link between raw extraction and high value-added processing. Affordable natural gas could unlock Mauritania's potential in sectors such as steelmaking and industrial manufacturing.
• Reducing costs and boosting competitiveness: Gas-fired electricity makes industrial production more competitive and more attractive to investors.

As several African countries seek to move up the mining value chain, integrated energy-mining strategies will be essential. For Mauritania, this gas corridor could be the key to unlocking its full potential and becoming a regional industrial hub.

Learning from Egypt’s success

Egypt offers a concrete example of how natural gas can stimulate industrial transformation:

• Energy self-sufficiency: The development of the Zohr gas field has enabled Egypt to achieve energy self-sufficiency in 2018.
• Industrial expansion: The country has invested in large gas-fired power stations and developed its petrochemical sector, notably with a $7.5 billion petrochemical complex at Ain Sokhna.
• Export growth: Egyptian exports of energy-intensive products such as cement and fertilisers have risen sharply, doubling between 2022 and 2024 and recording 350% growth since 2019.

Egypt's experience shows that with strategic investment in gas infrastructure, a country can not only meet its national energy needs, but also become a major industrial player on world markets.

Mauritania could draw on this approach to effectively exploit its natural gas resources, promote industrial growth and diversify its economy.