The French company Voltalia announced on Thursday that it had been awarded a solar project near Gafsa in south-west Tunisia.
In a press release, the company stated that it had ‘won a 130-megawatt solar project in the Gafsa region.
The output of the future power plant will be equivalent to the consumption of more than 700,000 inhabitants’.
Revenues from the project will come from a 30-year power purchase agreement with STEG (Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company), Tunisia’s public grid operator. Construction will start in 2025 and commissioning is scheduled for 2026.
According to the French company, “Tunisia is aiming for a renewable electricity production rate of 30% by 2030, compared to 2.2% in 2023.
In a country with more than 300 days of sunshine a year, solar energy is particularly competitive compared to thermal power plants, which rely mainly on imported natural gas.
In addition, the country is particularly vulnerable to climate change due to the extent of its climate-dependent agriculture and its high level of urbanization, which is potentially prone to flooding.
Sébastien Clerc, Chief Executive Officer of Voltalia, said: ‘We are delighted to have won this project. Thanks to attractive climatic conditions, favorable government policies and strong support from international financial institutions, Tunisia has great potential for renewable energy in the short and long term.
