At a time when the energy transition is at a standstill in Tunisia, the financing granted by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) offers hope. It is earmarked for the construction of two solar power plants at Feriana in the governorate of Kasserine. This is part of a public-private partnership (PPP) involving the French independent power producer (IPP) Qair and Mazarine Energy.
With a combined capacity of 20 MWp, the two projects have been granted a 25-year land lease. In addition to the power plants, the two developers will build a 3km transmission line connecting the new facilities to the substation of Société tunisienne de l’électricité et du gaz (STEG). These two photovoltaic farms will help to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions linked to electricity production in Tunisia.
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The North African country is dependent on fossil fuels, in particular natural gas, which is used to produce 83% of its electricity. In 2019, renewable energies accounted for just 2.5% of the electricity mix out of an installed capacity of 5,653 MW, according to the Observatoire national de l’énergie et des mines. Yet the Tunisian government wants to increase the share of renewable energies in the electricity mix to 30% by 2030.
Although the development of renewable energies is still slow to reach cruising speed, there were some positive signs in 2023, notably with the publication by the authorities of a call for tenders for 1,600 MW of solar and wind power in several governorates. The Emirati IPP Amea Power has raised $86 million for the construction of its 120 MWp solar photovoltaic plant in Kairouan.
Jean Marie Takouleu