SOMELEC Information

SOMELEC (Société Mauritanienne d'Électricité) was created in 2001 by splitting up SONELEC (Société Nationale d'Eau et d'Électricité), which was created in 1975 and was responsible for the production and distribution of drinking water and electricity. SOMELEC is responsible for the production, purchase, transport, distribution and marketing of electricity in urban and peri-urban areas throughout the country. Its objective is to generalise access to electrical energy to all inhabitants under the best conditions. Its share capital is entirely held by the Mauritanian State and amounts to MRU 14,736,416,000, i.e. approximately 360 million Euros. SOMELEC is present in 58 cities and dozens of localities in the country. It manages about 335,000 subscribers through 72 commercial centres. Its staff totals 2,284. The cumulative net energy produced at the end of December 2021 is 1,342,241 MWh, of which 1,335,031 MWh is for the SOMELEC network. The breakdown at the end of December 2021, between the various sources of production, is as follows 13.98 % Hydroelectric contribution from Manantali and Félou ; 71.26 % SOMELEC's own thermal power plant; 7.37 % Wind power plant; 6.51% Solar power plants. 0.88% Purchase from SNIM in Nouadhibou The energy from the OMVS hydroelectric facilities directly supplies the main Mauritanian towns located in the Senegal River valley. These are Rosso, Kaédi, Sélibaby, Boghé, Gouray and Diaguili. Since 2020, it also supplies the towns of Aleg, Boutilimit, Magtaa Lahjar, Chegar, Sangravé, Mbagne and Bababé, as well as part of the capital Nouakchott. The share of renewable energy, wind and solar, reached 13.88% of total production in 2021. The overall installed capacity of SOMELEC's national fleet of 60 generating units amounts to 490 MW.