Work has finished on Mauritania’s new solar power station, close to the capital Nouakchott. Mauritanian President Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz had kickstarted the project on the 52nd anniversary of the country’s independence last November. Petroleum, Energy and Minerals Minister al-Taleb Ould Abdi Vall has already visited the new station, which was built with the help of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The project aims to drive up production in the renewable energy sector while also producing clean, sustainable energy for Nouakchott’s population. Ministry Secretary-General Dah Ould Sidi Pune claimed the project had been completed on time, within a previously stated four-month deadline. The new plant cost $31m with $30m of that amount coming from Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, Prince Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. It consists of 30,000 solar panels alongside several distribution centres.