The deployment of Sahara Group in Mauritania: the new pulse for control of marine fuel in the Western Atlantic. The reconfiguration of energy supply routes along Africa’s Atlantic facade is shifting with the entry of new corporate players challenging the traditional logistics order. The Nigerian energy conglomerate Sahara Group has formally begun its fuel supply operations for ships (bunkering) in Mauritanian waters, after securing the awarding of an official supply license for the 2026 period granted by the government of Nouakchott.
The company has been offering VLSFO at 0.50% since this Friday, aligning with environmental requirements imposed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), facilitating the transition of shipping companies towards operations with lower pollutant emissions without penalizing the efficiency of their operating costs. This spring, two companies with a strong presence at the Port of Las Palmas, Minerva and Peninsula Petroleum, have won similar licenses for direct implementation.
The operational base of this deployment rests on the chartering of the FT NERVI, a specialized tanker of 7,600 deadweight tons (DWT) that the group has strategically positioned off the coast of Nouadhibou. The vessel is equipped with the technical capacity to conduct immediate dispatches of marine gas oil (MGO) under the international standard ISO 8217:2022 and very low sulfur fuel oil (VLSFO) limited to 0.50%. This availability of clean distillates allows regional and international fleets transiting the Saharan corridor to meet their navigation requirements without being forced to divert to traditional supply ports in the Central Atlantic.
The corporate entry responds to an integrated intermediate infrastructure planning with which Sahara Group seeks to capitalize on the growth of trade and offshore extractive activities on the continent. The corporation’s CEO, Wale Ajibade, has stated that establishing this capacity in the North African country enhances local port competitiveness, optimizes vessel turnaround, and strengthens the logistical framework necessary to sustain global trade exchanges. For Mauritanian ports, the presence of stable maritime assets transforms their anchorages into reliable service points, attracting a higher volume of maritime traffic and stimulating services associated with the port economy along the Atlantic coast.
The development of this supply corridor directly influences the resilience of supply chains operating between West and North Africa. By bringing regulated fuels closer to active trade routes, the project reduces transit costs and minimizes risks of supply shortages in a maritime area historically dependent on triangulation with terminals in Las Palmas and Tenerife.
The entry into Mauritania leverages the Nigerian firm’s previous experience in fleet management and hydrocarbon transport on a continental scale. The company routinely operates liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) vessels for energy transition and clean cooking programs in various African markets, a logistical background that it now transfers to the marine fuel supply business. The company’s management views this milestone in Nouadhibou as a fundamental piece of its long-term strategic plan, termed Sahara Beyond XXX, a platform focused on investment in large-scale infrastructure to promote sustainable trade and the mobility of goods along the African axis.
