Société Mauritanienne d'Électricité

What Société Mauritanienne d'Électricité does

Société Mauritanienne d'Électricité (SOMELEC) is the state-owned monopoly electricity utility of Mauritania, established in its current corporate form in 2001 with electricity service operations dating to 1960. The company holds exclusive legal rights over public electricity generation, transmission, and distribution across the national territory, serving residential, commercial, and industrial customers. It operates through three subsidiaries: Production/Transport, Distribution/Commercialization, and Rural Electrification.

SOMELEC's generation portfolio includes a 180 MW dual-fuel thermal plant plus approximately 95 MW of installed renewable capacity across solar (15 MW Cheikh Zayed in 2013, 50 MW in 2017) and wind (30 MW in 2015), with an additional 100 MW wind project planned. Network efficiency has improved from 62% to 70%, and the utility has electrified 227 new localities while adding 120,000+ new customer connections amid 12% annual demand growth. The company is pursuing a digital transformation initiative and recently signed a gas supply partnership with Egyptian firm GO GAS in November 2024.

Revenue is generated through regulated electricity tariffs billed to end customers, supplemented by government subsidies and cross-subsidies. SOMELEC is backed by the Mauritanian state and financed through multilateral institutions including the World Bank, the French Development Agency (AFD), and the Kuwait Fund, with an emergency financing package exceeding 16 billion MRU (~USD $400M). The utility's monopoly position eliminates competitive revenue risk but ties its financial performance to national tariff policy, government fiscal capacity, and demand growth tied to the broader Mauritanian economy.

Name

Société Mauritanienne d'Électricité

Legal name

Société Mauritanienne d'Électricité

Website

https://somelec.mr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Société Mauritanienne d'Électricité (SOMELEC) is the state-owned monopoly electricity utility of Mauritania, holding exclusive rights to generate, transmit, and distribute electricity nationwide to residential, commercial, and industrial customers across the national grid.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Electric Utility

NAICS

Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution (2211), Electric Power Transmission, Control, and Distribution (22112), Solar Electric Power Generation (221114), Electric Power Distribution (221122)

SIC

Electric Services (4911)

akta.pro primary industry

Retail Supply + DER/Virtual Power Plant Bundles (Solar, Storage, DR) (EUAGABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Renewable Distributed Generation (Rooftop/Onsite Solar, Small Wind, Small Hydro) (EUACALAJ), DER Management Systems (DERMS) & Virtual Power Plants (VPP) (EUADAPAD), DER Monitoring, Telemetry & Communications (IEEE 2030.5, DNP3, SunSpec) (EUADALAD)

Keywords

• Public electricity utility
• Power generation transmission
• Electricity distribution
• Prepaid metering services
• Rural electrification

Headquarters

HQ city

Nouakchott

HQ country

Mauritania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Electricity Sales: Sale of electricity to end customers across various tariff categories including domestic, public lighting, industrial, and administrative segments. Revenue is generated through regulated tariffs based on consumption (kWh) with different rate structures (single and dual rate tariffs).
2. Prepaid Electricity Credits: Sale of prepaid electricity credits through Mounsif counters, mobile application, and authorized private suppliers. Minimum purchase starts at 10 MRU.
3. Connection and Subscription Fees: Fees charged for new customer connections and subscriptions to the electricity network.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Société Mauritanienne d'Électricité (SOMELEC) generates, transmits and distributes electricity across Mauritania as the state-owned national utility. It sells electrical power through regulated tariff categories (domestic, industrial, administrative, public lighting), with prepaid (Mounsif) and post-paid options, complemented by digital self-service channels including a web portal and a mobile application for billing, consumption monitoring and new connections.

Product overview

Société Mauritanienne d'Électricité (SOMELEC) is a Mauritanian state-owned electricity utility providing public electricity generation, transmission, and distribution services across Mauritania. Its product portfolio centers on physical electricity supply (power generation and grid distribution) supplemented by a suite of digital customer-facing tools. The digital offerings include the online.somelec.mr self-service web portal (for account consultation, consumption simulation, and bill payment), the Khadematy mobile application (available on Google Play and Apple Store for remote commercial procedures), the Mounsif prepayment smart metering system (enabling credit-based electricity purchases with remote monitoring), and a 24/7 call center at 80001414 for troubleshooting and complaints. Tariff schedules for Basse Tension and Moyenne Tension customers are published as downloadable documents. The company also publishes procurement tenders (Appels d'Offres) for infrastructure projects. The physical electricity service itself — generation, transmission, distribution — constitutes the core product, with the digital tools serving as customer-interface layer.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Electricity Supply Service (Generation, Transmission and Distribution) Core electricity supply service to residential, industrial, administrative and public-lighting customers across Mauritania through thermal, solar and wind generation, high-voltage transmission and nationwide distribution networks.
• online.somelec.mr Customer Portal Web-based self-service portal offering account consultation, consumption simulation across multiple tariff categories (domestic, public lighting, industrial, administration) and online bill payment; available in French and Arabic.
• Khadematy Mobile Application Mobile commercial platform available on Google Play and Apple Store enabling customers to remotely perform connection requests, subscription requests, troubleshooting requests, bill and consumption consultation, automatic meter reading and bill payment via integrated digital wallets.
• Mounsif Prepayment Smart Metering System Next-generation prepaid smart electricity metering system with a remote electronic management platform that allows customers to monitor consumption, purchase electricity credit from 10 MRU, receive low-balance warnings with emergency credit, eliminate paper bills, avoid disconnections for non-payment and store energy credit, accessible via the Mounsif app, SOMELEC commercial centers and authorized private vendors.
• Consumption Simulation Service Web-based estimation tool that lets customers calculate their electricity costs by entering kWh consumption, number of days, tariff category (domestic, public lighting, industrial, administration) and KVA capacity (06/09/12/18/24/30/36 kVA).
• Online Bill Payment Service Online payment service accessible through the customer portal allowing customers to pay electricity bills using a reference number, with support for wallet-based payment methods.
• 24/7 Call Center Customer Support (80001414) Free-of-charge customer call center available 24/7 at number 80001414 providing support for breakdowns, troubleshooting, inquiries and complaints in French and Arabic.
• 24/7 Emergency and Repair Service (Astreinte-Dépannage) Round-the-clock emergency repair service for electricity outages and network faults, reachable through the toll-free call center.
• Digital Invoicing (Factures Numériques) Subscription service for distribution of digital invoices via SMS, WhatsApp and/or email in place of paper bills, available via registration at SOMELEC commercial centers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Electricity demand growth of 12% per year accompanied
• +5 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered moderate, core and supporting.

• German Business Delegation (represented by German Embassy)moderateGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 February 2026A German delegation representing industrial companies visited SOMELEC as part of the Mauritano-German Economic Forum. The visit included representatives from the Chamber of Commerce, Industry and Agriculture of Mauritania, the Arab-German Chamber of Commerce, and the German Association for African Economy. Discussions focused on investment opportunities in electricity generation plants, infrastructure, and power transmission projects.
• GO GAS (Egyptian Consortium)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 November 2024SOMELEC signed a gas purchase agreement (Head of Terms) with GO GAS and SMH for the construction of a gas pipeline connecting the Dual power plant to the Banda gas field. The pipeline will have a capacity of 31 mmcfd, enabling approximately 165 MW of continuous production for about 20 years. This represents a major step toward 'Gas to Power' energy transition.
• SMH (Societe Mauritanienne des Hydrocarbures)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 November 2024Partner in the gas purchase agreement for supplying natural gas to SOMELEC's Dual power plant through a new pipeline connecting to the Banda gas field.
• Ginger SOFRECOsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 11 November 2024Technical assistance provider for the PACSEM project, providing expertise in defining and implementing the priority training plan for SOMELEC's human resources department.
• SEMAF (Societe d'Exploitation des Ressources en Eau du Fleuve Senegal)supportingTechnology or IntegrationSEMAF operates the OMVS (Organisation pour la Mise en Valeur du fleuve Senegal) interconnection network. They conduct maintenance on the high-voltage transformer stations that affect SOMELEC's service in various cities. Regular coordination required for service interruptions during maintenance.
• OMVS (Organisation pour la Mise en Valeur du fleuve Senegal)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional organization managing the Senegal River Valley. SOMELEC is interconnected with OMVS hydroelectric infrastructure via 225 kV transmission lines. OMVS conducts maintenance on shared infrastructure that affects Mauritanian electricity supply.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• EDM-SA (Énergie du Mali): Mali's state-owned integrated electricity utility, also interconnected via OMVS alongside SOMELEC. Comparable scale, Sahelian customer base, and dependence on imported liquid fuels with growing solar addition — making it one of the closest structural analogues.
• EDG (Électricité de Guinée): Guinea's state-owned national electric utility, also Francophone West African, vertically integrated generation-transmission-distribution with similar rural electrification challenges and a mix of hydro and thermal generation.
• NIGELEC (Société Nigérienne d'Électricité): Niger's state-owned national electricity utility. Closely comparable in scale, Sahelian operating environment, heavy reliance on imported thermal fuel, and a similar rural electrification and prepaid metering agenda — making it a useful near-twin comparator.
• CEET (Compagnie Énergie Électrique du Togo): Togo's state-owned vertically integrated electricity utility. Comparable in scale and service mandate within West Africa, with a similar diversified thermal-hydro-solar generation mix and West African Power Pool (WAPP) interconnection arrangements analogous to SOMELEC's OMVS ties.
• SBEE (Société Béninoise d'Énergie Électrique): Benin's state-owned national electricity utility. Comparable in scale, customer segments (residential, industrial, public lighting), distribution-led operating model, and West African francophone regulatory context.
• ENEO Cameroun: Cameroon's main electricity distribution and generation operator (previously AES-SONEL). Comparable operating model covering generation through distribution, prepaid metering rollout, and digital customer platforms — closely aligned with SOMELEC's Mounsif and Khadematy approach.
• Senelec (Société Nationale d'Électricité du Sénégal): Senegal's state-owned national electricity utility, vertically integrated across generation, transmission, and distribution. Highly comparable to SOMELEC: same West African francophone regulatory context, similar fuel mix (heavy fuel + diesel + growing solar), shared OMVS interconnection, and comparable rural electrification mandate.

Regional players

• ONEE (Office National de l'Électricité et de l'Eau Potable): Morocco's state-owned integrated electricity and water utility. Although substantially larger and more developed, it is the most relevant regional reference point for a Maghreb utility with major renewable generation targets and similar legal/institutional structure.

Others

• WAPP (West African Power Pool): Regional coordinator of cross-border electricity trade in West Africa. Important ecosystem peer for SOMELEC because Mauritania's Mauritania-Mali interconnection, dashed on shared infrastructure, and the prospect of expanded cross-border power flows shape SOMELEC's medium-term revenue and supply-mix trajectory.
• OMVS (Organisation pour la Mise en Valeur du fleuve Sénégal): Regional Senegal River basin organization that operates the Manantali hydroelectric interconnection used by SOMELEC. Not a competitor but an upstream enabling partner whose grid maintenance directly affects SOMELEC's service continuity, as documented in March 2026 outage events.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/hapamauritanie
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/somelecmr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Société Mauritanienne d'Électricité