The new Tunisian subsidiary of the French group EDF ENR, which specializes in the implementation of photovoltaic projects for self-consumption, was inaugurated on February 28 at a ceremony held in Sidi Bou Saïd (a northern suburb of the capital, Tunis).
Through this facility, EDF ENR, which designs, markets, installs and maintains photovoltaic solar solutions for individuals and professionals, aims to support Tunisian economic players in their decarbonization strategies.
Helping Tunisia reduce its carbon footprint
The subsidiary will make its expertise in photovoltaic energy production available to its customers in Tunisia, supporting them throughout the life of their projects with turnkey solutions, innovative products and a network of local partners.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Benjamin Declas, Chairman and CEO of EDF ENR, said: “In today’s world of crisis after crisis, the urgency of climate change is a constant reminder of our responsibilities. The successive IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) reports are a constant reminder of the importance of renewable energy in decarbonizing the economy”.
He continued: “Without renewables, there will be no credible alternatives to fossil fuel use, no competitive decarbonization in remote areas, and no sufficient electrification of industrial and transport applications.
“Today, more than 141 countries around the world have introduced legislation to develop renewable energy and have set targets for installed capacity. Investment in renewable energy is exploding worldwide, exceeding $300 billion per year over the last 5 years. Tunisia is one of the countries that is determined to become more carbon neutral, more competitive and more energy sovereign,” he added.
“Supporting this ambition is fully in line with EDF ENR’s vision of building a CO2-neutral energy future and preserving the planet. This is the context in which we are setting up in Tunisia. Our subsidiary will place its technical and financial solutions, as well as its range of services developed over more than 20 years, at the service of the Tunisian economy and the country’s energy transition,” he concluded.
A “win-win” relationship with STEG
The head of the French group did not, however, give any figures on his company’s objectives in terms of investment, jobs and market share in Tunisia, stressing only that EDF ENR “wants to be the market leader in Tunisia” and that it “intends to move forward with certainty, exploring all the opportunities offered by the market and relying 100% on Tunisian teams”.
For his part, Belhassen Chiboub, Director General of Electricity and Energy Transition at the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy, reiterated the country’s desire to “continue to strengthen partnerships for the development of renewable energies in order to ensure the energy transition”.
“We have set ourselves a very ambitious target in terms of energy transition, which is dictated by our primary energy deficit. With a deficit of 52%, we have a great need to ensure our security of supply. And I would say that while the climate issue is the tip of the iceberg, the submerged and most important part of that iceberg is undoubtedly security of supply.
“As part of our energy transition strategy, based on the integration of renewables, energy efficiency and the decarbonization of industry, we are looking for win-win partnerships, both for the production of electricity for exclusive sale to STEG and for private-public partnerships for the production of renewable energy. And I hope that EDF ENR will be able to contribute to achieving these goals.
With more than 20 years’ experience in installing photovoltaic generators on various types of buildings, EDF ENR, a subsidiary of EDF, now has more than 80,000 installations for private individuals and more than 3,000 for professionals and local authorities.
