The ministers of Energy and Oil and of Water Infrastructure and the general director of APAUS pay a visit to Atersa PV Mauritanie

Nouakchott, 29/04/2013. The minister of Energy, Petroleum and Mines, Taleb Ould Abdivall, intervened in favour of the signing of an agreement between Mauritania, through the country’s two solar energy operators, and the Spanish company Atersa.

The minister made the statements last Monday, during his visit with the minister of Water Infrastructure and Sanitation, Mohamed Lemine Ould Aboye, and the general director of the Agency to Promote Universal Access to Services (APAUS), Sidi Ould Mayouf, to Atersa PV Mauritanie. He also stated that the agreement will allow the Spanish company to promote the use of renewable energy, especially solar energy, in, among other fields, energy, water and urban development.

He added that this cooperation will, among other things, involve the solar plants in Atar and Kiffa, as well as all the smaller localities and towns able to use this clean source of energy.

During the visit, the delegates heard explanations given by Samer Kassar, general director of Atersa PV Mauritanie, on the various phases required for solar panel production and assembly.

The head of Atersa PV Mauritanie gave a presentation in which he said that his company, which produces one solar panel approximately every three minutes, intends to meet the needs of the Mauritanian markets for quality, affordable solar panels.

At the end of the visit, the director of electrification for the Ministry of Energy, Petroleum and Mines, Samer Kassar, told the national press that Sociedade Atersa PV Mauritanie produces solar panels as a result of cooperation between the Mauritanian government, Atersa Grupo Elecnor and Mauritanian private partner.

He added that Atersa PV Mauritanie currently supplies solar panels for SNIM’s 3 MW solar plant in Zouerate, and that in the future it will sell its products on the Mauritanian market.

Virgilio Navarro, director of Atersa Grupo Elecnor, stressed the importance of the Mauritanian market for this European company, and stated that the Mauritanian climate, along with those of the United States and the United Arab Emirates, is among the most suitable for solar energy production.

He stated that the importance of clean energy in Mauritania is due to its possession of huge sources of solar and wind energy.

Atersa Grupo Elecnor was awarded the bid on the 31 MW plant to be built in Nouakchott.

The visitors were accompanied by the Secretary-General of the Ministry of Energy, Petroleum and Mines, Brahim Ould Chadli.