For Tunisia, 2024 will have been an unprecedented year in which it took its place among the most active countries in the field of renewable energy (RE).
It selected four projects totaling 500 MW in the first phase of the 1,700 MW tender, with the best tariff of EUR 0.029 (USD 0.030) per kWh.
The winners of the AO-01-2022 tender include three 100 MW projects proposed by developers: one by Qair International SAS at a site in El Ksar (Gafsa), another by Scatec ASA at a site in Mezzouna (Sidi Bouzid) and the third by Voltalia SA at a site in Menzel Habib (Gabes).
The fourth project, proposed by the State under tender AO-03-2022, was awarded to Qair International. It will have a capacity of 198 MW and will be built on the El Khobna site (Sidi Bouzid).
The French independent renewable energy producer has already announced that it has started the construction of two solar parks in Tunisia, which will add 20 MWp to the country’s electricity production capacity.
The photovoltaic farms will be installed in the town of Feriana, Kasserine governorate, in central-western Tunisia. Qair owns 100% of the first 10 MW project, while the second is a joint venture with oil and gas exploration company Mazarine Energy. After the construction phase, both projects will be operated by the French company.
The Feriana plants are expected to have a combined electricity production of around 44 GWh, enough to meet the needs of 30,000 households, while reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 17,000 tons.
Each plant, which will be connected to a nearby substation of the Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company (STEG), is expected to be operational in February 2025.
1,000 GWh per year
These projects are expected to be operational in 2027, producing around 1,000 GWh per year, or about 5% of Tunisia’s national electricity production. The solar power plants are expected to save 250,000 tons of natural gas per year, at a cost of around $125 million.
As part of the same program, the Tunisian Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mines expects to receive bids for at least two wind power projects, each with a capacity of 75 MW, by the end of March 2025.
The construction of the solar farms will be supported by EUR 7.8 million (USD 8.2 million) in debt financing from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). Their operation is expected to improve the resilience of Tunisia’s national grid and contribute to the country’s target of 35% renewable energy by 2030, according to the Renewables Now website.
To complete the picture, Tunisia had previously awarded five solar photovoltaic projects with a total capacity of 500 MW in five governorates: 200 MW in Tataouine, 50 MW in Tozeur, 50 MW in Sidi Bouzid, 100 MW in Kairouan and 100 MW in Gafsa. These projects are expected to be operational from 2025.
Dividends and economic opportunities
The large-scale development of renewable energy can be a catalyst for growth in Tunisia in several ways: first, by reducing energy costs and the need for subsidies; second, by making this energy green and minimizing dependence on imported fossil fuels, thereby contributing to a balanced trade balance; and third, by attracting foreign direct investment in green industrial production and exports, thereby creating jobs and economic opportunities.
To this end, the World Bank, in particular, is working closely with the Tunisian government to fully integrate the vision of a green energy transition at the heart of the country’s industrial, social and economic transformation.
