Electricity demand in Tunisia has risen by around 30%, particularly during peak hours between 1:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m., pushing total demand to nearly 5,000 MW, environmental risk modeling economist Hazem Krichen said on Friday, July 17.
Speaking on the ExpressFM, Krichen said the Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company (STEG) has a generation capacity of around 4,630 MW, leaving a shortfall of nearly 400 MW. Part of this gap can be covered through electricity imports from Algeria.
He explained that STEG has been forced to implement rolling power outages to prevent the electricity grid from collapsing and avoid a nationwide blackout.
However, he warned that the measure comes with a significant economic cost. Tunisia’s annual GDP stands at around TND 160 billion, while national electricity production totals approximately 19.3 TWh.
Based on these figures, every kilowatt-hour (kWh) not consumed in the economy could translate into an estimated loss of TND 4 to 5.
According to Krichen, STEG aims to save around 250 MW through two-hour daily rolling outages. If the current heatwave lasts five days, the resulting economic cost could reach TND 12.5 million.
If outages extend to four hours per day for ten days, losses could exceed TND 50 million due to the electricity not delivered to consumers.
Krichen added that the increase in electricity demand to nearly 5,000 MW represents an additional 1,150 MW compared with normal levels.
He stressed that the economic impact of rolling blackouts goes far beyond the value of the electricity not consumed, as indirect effects on economic activity could be three to four times greater than the direct cost.
