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A new African uranium frontier is set to open soon, with Mauritania’s first yellowcake mine on the cusp of a major milestone. ASX- and London AIM-listed Aura Energy's chief executive Andrew Grove told African Energy that discussions were taking place to finalise $250m of debt and equity funding for its 2m lb/yr Tiris mine.  

Uranium industry figures say African producers should benefit from the growing interest around the world in developing more nuclear power, after a long slump following the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan. Established producers such as Namibia – which could become the world’s second-largest producer in the next decade – Niger and Malawi are eyeing greater output, while others such as Mauritania are preparing to enter the market, writes Marc Howard.

A mini-boom in uranium mining is underway in Africa, with investors raising debt and equity finance to advance greenfield projects and mothballed mines being brought back online. The energy transition and geopolitical imperatives have created a more favourable environment for the nuclear power sector, but political risks are especially acute when it comes to uranium, as demonstrated by recent licence withdrawals in Niger, writes Marc Howard.

Anglo-French independent Perenco has bought into the leading floating LNG developer, building on their existing Cameroon partnership.

The long-awaited arrival of the Greater Tortue Ahmeyim scheme’s FPSO vessel  is welcome news for the LNG megaproject, having twice been delayed by external events.

Ahead of his expected late June re-election, President Mohammed Ahmed El Ghazouani is presiding over a potentially fast-changing Mauritania that can expect new revenues from its joint GTA gas field with Senegal and potentially more long-term investment plays that exploit its minerals reserves, P2X potential and route to the sea, write Marc Howard, Waly Dione Faye and Jon Marks.

President Mohammed Ould Cheikh Mohammed Ahmed El Ghazouani’s meeting with Algerian President Abdelmajid Tebboune on 22 February, at the airport in Tindouf, south-western Algeria, was replete with symbolism. Not only did the leaders formally inaugurate fixed border posts on the 460km bilateral frontier, a roster of projects were announced that signal of a wider intensification of relations. Some of these schemes could help Algeria to outflank its bitter regional rival Morocco by increasing its business further south.

Mauritania’s government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Saudi Arabia to co-operate in the electricity, renewable energy and clean hydrogen sectors.

New Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye pointedly opted for Nouakchott as the destination for his first official foreign trip, ending a long tradition of starting in France and underlining his Pastef party’s pan-African agenda. Investors will be watching closely as discussions with Mauritanian President Mohammed Ghazouani centred around the potential for renegotiating the joint Greater Tortue Ahmeyim LNG development’s terms, writes Waly Dione Faye.

The estimated $1bn EPC deal for the Banda and Tevet fields, which hold combined estimated reserves of 2.2tcf, is the first involvement by Egyptian players in Mauritania’s upstream and marks the revival of Nouakchott’s long-held plans to supply gas to its flagship Banda Duale power plant.

Kinross’ huge solar-storage C&I project will be Mauritania’s second-largest installed PV plant when commissioned in the coming weeks.

Slow progress at some of sub-Saharan Africa’s most high-profile LNG developments come as exporters from other parts of the world race to sign new long-term deals with buyers from Asia and Europe. The risk for African producers is that they could miss out on lucrative opportunities, costing governments large amounts in lost foreign earnings, writes Marc Howard*.

The 2.4m t/yr first phase of the cross-border Mauritania/Senegal Greater Tortue Ahmeyim (GTA) gas development has once again been delayed. Kosmos chief executive Andrew Inglis said the latest setback stemmed from GTA’s floating production, storage and offloading (FPSO) vessel requiring further repairs in Tenerife, following damage incurred during its journey from Qidong, China.

London AIM-listed Chariot has confirmed that a feasibility study for the 10GW Project Nour green hydrogen (GH2) project had been completed and handed to the Mauritanian government.  Chariot and project partner TotalEnergies are planning a phased development. The Mauritanian government has signed memoranda of understanding (MoUs) for several other large GH2 projects as it aims to be “the largest producer and exporter of hydrogen on the African continent.”

With momentum building for the delayed Greater Tortue Ahmeyim LNG project to start exports in mid-2024, supermajor BP has extended its relationship with services provider Petrofac.