Technology group Wärtsilä has signed a three-year Guaranteed Asset Performance (GAP) agreement with Société Mauritanienne d’Electricité (SOMELEC) for their power plant in Nouadhibou, Mauritania. This 34 MW balancing power plant, equipped with two Wärtsilä 32 and two Wärtsilä 46 engines, plays a crucial role in securing reliable electricity for Mauritania’s economic capital and the wider grid. The new agreement significantly expands the scope of the previous agreement from technical advisory to asset performance, reflecting SOMELEC’s confidence in Wärtsilä’s lifecycle solutions. This order was booked by Wärtsilä in Q3 2025.
Wärtsilä will provide comprehensive lifecycle services in the GAP agreement, including:
Operational support on-site with three technical advisors and a storekeeper, and remotely from the Wärtsilä Expertise Centre
Unplanned maintenance and Major overhauls at 12,000-hour intervals
Supply of spare parts for engines, auxiliaries, and critical safety components
“Ensuring reliable electricity supply is essential for Mauritania’s growth. By expanding our partnership with Wärtsilä at our power plant in Nouadhibou, we are strengthening the stability of the national grid and ensuring both long-term operational excellence and the plant’s future performance,” explains M. Khroumbali LEHBIB, Director General of SOMELEC.
Wärtsilä and SOMELEC have a long-standing collaboration. The transition from an advisory agreement to a performance-based model in Nouadhibou is aligned with Wärtsilä’s strategy to provide greater value through tailored lifecycle solutions.
“This renewal and expansion to a Guaranteed Asset Performance Agreement is a clear vote of confidence from SOMELEC in our lifecycle expertise,” says Patrick Borstner, Director, Operations Africa at Wärtsilä Energy. “It’s a great example of how Wärtsilä continues to strengthen the long-term partnership with the customer by offering deeper, more integrated services that ensure reliability and efficiency for vital power infrastructure.”
