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Operations

Green Hydrogen

Hydrogen is a key component of the energy transition with huge market growth potential

10GW

Renewable power generation potential

 

1.2Mt

Targeted Green H2 production by 2030
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Proof of Concept Projects Underway

MAURITANIA

PROJECT NOUR

Chariot’s green hydrogen project, “Project Nour”, spans two onshore areas totalling approx. 5,000km², across northern Mauritania; a location that takes advantage of the wide scale wind and solar potential, important for large-scale renewable energy generation and low-cost hydrogen production.

Project Nour is equally owned through a 50%/50% partnership between Chariot’s fully owned subsidiary Chariot Green Hydrogen and TE H2, a company co-owned by TotalEnergies and EREN Group, and is being developed with the support of Mauritania’s Ministry of Petroleum, Energy and Mines. The Feasibility Study has been completed which confirmed the project’s world class potential, outlining the first phase planning of domestic offtake and export development.

Key highlights:

  • Further definition of the scale and viability of the project, building on the Pre-Feasibility Study completed in 2022 which confirmed that with up to 10 GW of electrolysis installed, Project Nour could become one of the largest green hydrogen projects globally
  • Intention to execute a phased development with a first phase renewable capacity of 3 GW, powering up to 1.6 GW of electrolysis capacity, to produce 150 kt of green hydrogen per annum
  • Offtake possibilities: domestic use for green steel production and export of green ammonia
  • Geographical proximity to Europe and existing deep-sea port at Nouadhibou provides favorable export options
  • Sustainable economic development with local content plan aimed at maximizing employment and business opportunities in Mauritania
  • Completed in compliance with Equator Principles and IFC Performance Standards
  • Next steps include completion of investment framework, engineering conceptual study and offtake negotiations

 

 

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Green hydrogen is a strategic priority for Chariot and will form a substantial part of the global energy transition. Project Nour has the potential to be one of the key sources of green energy of the future with the opportunity to deliver a wide range of positive impacts.

Laurent Coche

CEO Chariot Green Hydrogen

THE MARKET OPPORTUNITY

Green hydrogen, produced by splitting water through electrolysis using renewable energy, currently makes up 2-4% of total global hydrogen production, approximately 115 Mt per annum. The International Renewable Energy Agency (“IRENA”) projects that the combined value of hydrogen and its derivatives will be larger than the fossil fuel market by 2050 and estimates that global demand will reach up to 800 Mt by that decade, with green hydrogen potentially meeting up to 100% of this demand. As demand rises and green hydrogen is increasingly adopted as a reliable, sustainable energy source, Deloitte predicts that the market is expected to be greater than the value of liquid natural gas trade by 2030 and further grow to reach US1.4 trillion per year by 2050.

Project Nour has the ability to generate 1.2 Mt of green hydrogen per year, so meeting global demand would require over 600 similar-sized projects. This demonstrates the enormous growth potential of the hydrogen industry and the need for giga-scale projects like Nour. This scale of green hydrogen production will require massive amounts of dedicated renewable energy generation and infrastructure but will be an essential component for decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors such as heavy industry, shipping and transport.

LOCAL CONTENT

Socio-economic benefits of hydrogen projects have become a focal area and Chariot is currently developing a dedicated programme in line with the Government’s recently published local content strategy. The partnership has teamed up with a consultancy to find areas of opportunity for local businesses and assess the training needed to maximise local labour, with the aim of ensuring as much in-country participation as possible. Seventeen focus areas have been identified, based upon the additional skills, certifications and capital required.

This analysis has been shared with the business community and selected donor organisations to look to target specific investments needed to make successful bids and incentive mechanisms are being devised to ensure local content is actively promoted during the tendering process.

The Chariot-Total Eren partnership is proud to be working alongside the Government of Mauritania to support its ambition to become a leading producer and exporter of green hydrogen, while ensuring that Nour delivers in-country value in line with broader economic development.

PRODUCING GREEN HYDROGEN: THE METHOD

 

Desalinated water is an essential component of green hydrogen production, so the capacity to implement desalination solutions powered by renewable energy, a focus for Chariot’s water business, will also be a critical part of the feasibility for both Project Nour and other green hydrogen projects.

PHASING AND DE-RISKING IN MOROCCO

Chariot is focused on establishing early production on commercial basis – a deliberate phasing approach is key to de-risking projects.

Early stage, smaller scale trials are of great importance to de-risk projects by showcasing project delivery and local value, proving up technology, as well as generating early revenues and creating the basis for deploying larger commercial phases. Chariot will continue to look at other proofs of concept with other industry partners, as collaboration and sharing expertise and resources will be key to accelerating progression across the sector.  The first proof of concept is under development at OCP’s Jorf Lasfar industrial site in Northern Morocco, in partnership with UM6P and Oort Energy.

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