Mauritania, under a new partnership between Société Nationale Industrielle et Minière (SNIM) and Australian energy company CWP Global, is set to establish a hub for producing pre-reduced iron ore, which will then be converted into hot briquetted iron (HBI) using green hydrogen.
HBI produced with green hydrogen is crucial for the steel industry’s decarbonisation and is expected to be in high demand as Europe enforces industrial decarbonisation policies. Green HBI serves as a replacement for raw iron processing traditionally done by blast furnaces, which emit significant amounts of CO2.
The project developed by SNIM and CWP is projected to reduce millions of tonnes of CO2 emissions annually. CWP’s “Aman” project will supply the green hydrogen, water, and electricity needed for HBI production. Launched in 2022 with Mauritanian government approval, the Aman project aims to develop 30 GW of renewable energy capacity for green hydrogen production.
CWP anticipates producing 1.7 million tonnes of green hydrogen annually for local use and export. This will support the decarbonisation of the steel industry, as Mauritania aspires to become a leading player in the global iron market.
SNIM, holding a monopoly on iron production in Mauritania, produces between 12.7 and 13 million tonnes annually, making Mauritania the 15th largest iron producer globally and the second largest in Africa, behind South Africa. New projects are underway to potentially increase production to 40 million tonnes per year.