Nouadhibou — Mauritania

Nouadhibou is a 120 MW gas power station in Dakhlet Nouadhibou, Mauritania. It is operated by Mauritanian Electricity Co [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 135k homes (estimated). It ranks #1 of 8 Mauritania power plants by installed capacity. In context, gas supplies about 0.0% of Mauritania's electricity; the national grid averages 512 gCO₂/kWh (22.7% low-carbon) (2024).

Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id WRI1023107.

Data provenance

Source of the capacity and fuel values:

capacity: GEM · 2026 · L100000408665; fuel: WRI GPPD

In context: how this plant compares

Technically it is described as Engine. Gas plants burn natural gas either in open-cycle turbines for fast peaking, or in combined-cycle units that recover exhaust heat in an HRSG to reach roughly 55–62% efficiency — the cleanest-burning fossil option.

Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.

Owner

Operated by Mauritanian Electricity Co [100%].

Local climate & thermal context

This gas plant burns natural gas in a turbine — often in a combined-cycle setup — to generate electricity. It sits in a hot desert climate (Köppen BWh) — Northern Hemisphere, latitude 20.9°N — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.

Monthly mean temperature

This site has effectively no heating season (tropical/equatorial climate), so winter heat loss is not the driver here. The thermal concern shifts to year-round process heat and humidity/heat-driven corrosion of hot equipment.

A gas turbine here also runs ~4% below its ISO (15°C) rating at this annual mean (typical CCGT curve, estimate).

Climate normals: WorldClim 2.1 (1970–2000 monthly normals, 10 arc-min, CC BY 4.0); zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid). Degree-days & heat-demand index computed by PowerAtlas — a modelled heat-demand proxy, not a measured site figure.

Site climate & environmental severity

This site sits in an aggressive, high-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C5 — Very high), with marine salt corrosion the leading environmental stress.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby plants

Mauritania has 1 gas power plant in this dataset, together about 120 MW of capacity.

Nearby power plants

• Tasiast Mine power plant · Oil · 60 MW · Akjoujt

Location

Coordinates 20.8954, -17.0572 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.

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