Almost three years after obtaining the concession to build a photovoltaic solar power plant in the governorate of Kairouan in Tunisia, Amea Power is finally going to start work. This is now possible thanks to the completion of the financing required to build the plant. At least 86 million dollars have been raised by the Kairouan Solar Plant ad hoc company from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector financing arm of the World Bank Group.
The African Development Bank (AfDB) is providing more than $37.5 million, including $17 million from its Sustainable Energy Fund for Africa (SEFA). The solar project is now entering the construction phase in Metbassta, in the governorate of Kairouan. It is being developed as part of a public-private partnership (PPP).
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The financial closing of the Kairouan solar project is “an important milestone for Amea Power and for Tunisia, as it is the largest solar project fully developed in the country to date. Despite all the challenges the market has faced since the Covid 19 pandemic, we are proud to complete this project and honour our commitment to support Tunisia’s transition to clean energy,” said Hussain Al Nowais, Chairman of Amea Power, at a ceremony with the authorities in the capital Tunis.
The Kairouan plant, which is due to come on stream in mid-2025, will have a capacity of 120 MWp, giving an estimated annual output of 222 GWh. According to Amea Power, its solar power plant will be capable of supplying 43,000 Tunisian homes while avoiding emissions of 117,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2) over the next few years. For the record, Amea won this concession in an international call for tenders issued by the Tunisian Ministry of Industry and SMEs in December 2019.
Jean Marie Takouleu