TotalEnergies-backed green hydrogen megaproject reveals details of gigawatt-scale first phase

Chariot Energy and TEH2 are targeting a final investment decision for their project in Mauritania by the latter half of 2027. This project, named 'Nour', is a multi-phase green hydrogen initiative with a capacity of 10 gigawatts (GW). The first stage will see 1.6GW installed capacity to produce 150,000 tonnes of green hydrogen annually. While the full project is expected to yield 1.2 milzion tonnes of hydrogen per year, the initial production is slated for operation by 2030.

Originally estimated at $3.5 billion in 2021, the project's cost hasn't been updated by Chariot Energy. The development rights cover 5,000 square kilometers of onshore land in Mauritania. Chariot Energy plans to focus solely on onshore development despite having rights to an additional 9,400 square kilometers offshore.

CEO Laurent Coche highlighted the significance of the project in the future green hydrogen market, emphasizing its potential impact domestically and internationally. Chariot Energy expressed interest in exploring green steelmaking and ammonia production for export as potential offtake options. They've also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Port of Rotterdam to export hydrogen.

The European Commission has shown interest in importing green iron and steel from Mauritania, potentially using the Global Gateway fund to finance infrastructure. Mauritania has seen various proposals for gigawatt-scale green hydrogen plants beyond 'Nour', including the Megaton Moon project by GreenGo Energy, the Aman project by CWP Global, and Infinity Power's unnamed facility.