Search

Voltalia SA has been awarded a project to build a 130-MW solar park in Tunisia near the city of Gafsa. Construction is set to begin in 2025 with commercial

Tunisia is catching up on its renewable energy targets to decarbonise its economic climate and contribute to the global efforts for dealing with the difficulty of climate change. In a fresh development, Tunisia's Ministry of Energy, Mines and Renewable Energies has released 2 new tenders for the development of solar PV projects of cumulative capacity of 1 GW. The Tunisian government intends to construct eight solar energy plants having capacities of 100 MW in the first procurement exercise. According to the strategies, the project programmers will need to recognize as well as secure land for the solar projects. Tunisia intends to produce 30% of electricity from renewables by the end of this decade. The government is also aiming to decrease its carbon intensity by 41% by 2030. In the existing system of points, tenders will be awarded in four various rounds. Bidders can submit the solar energy project proposals by June 15, 2023 for the first round. The submission for the fourth as well as final round can be carried out in September 2025; the date is yet to be disclosed. The Tunisian authorities will certainly look to establish two 100 MW solar plants in the second tender in Hecha and also Khobna, in the governorates of Gabes and Sidi Bouzid. For this, the project developers will certainly be required to submit their proposals until May 18. According to reports, the projects that will be chosen for development most likely sell green power to Société tunisienne de l'électricité et du gaz (STEG), the state-owned grid operator of Tunisia. Some lasting power purchase agreements are expected to be inked for the purpose. Other details of procurement are yet to be divulged by the authorities. By the end of 2021, the overall mounted solar PV capacity of Tunisia was just 95 MW according to the IRENA. Previously this month, the African Development Bank Group accepted a $27 million and EUR10 million financing plan to co-finance the building of Tunisia's 100 MW Kairouan solar energy plant. It is among the 5 sustainable projects awarded in 2019 by the Tunisian government. Recently, its Energy Minister announced that the Mediterranean nation wants to add 2000 MW of green energy via RE tenders. In December 2019, Tunisia completed a 500 MW solar energy tender.

Tunisia's Ministry of Industry, Mines, and Energy has announced a tender to allocate 200 MW of solar photovoltaic capacity. Developers interested in the project can submit their proposals until January 31, 2025. The state-owned electricity and gas company, STEG, will purchase all produced electricity through a long-term power purchase agreement, with tariffs regulated by a ministerial decision from October 2024.This initiative follows Tunisia's earlier success in awarding two solar projects totaling 330 MW, including a 200 MW project by AMEA Power in Tataouine and a 130 MW project by France's Voltalia near Gafsa. The government is actively expanding its renewable energy infrastructure. What are the implications of Tunisia's new solar tender for renewable energy growth? Increased Renewable Energy Capacity: The new 200 MW solar tender represents a significant step towards expanding Tunisia's renewable energy capacity, contributing to the country's goal of achieving a mix of sustainable energy sources. Investment Opportunities: By opening up a tender that invites developers to bid, Tunisia is positioning itself as an attractive market for foreign and domestic investments in renewable energy, potentially drawing in significant capital. Job Creation: The construction and maintenance of solar parks require skilled labor, which can lead to new job opportunities in both the short and long term, boosting the local economy. Energy Independence: Expanding solar capacity can help Tunisia reduce its reliance on imported fossil fuels, improving its energy security and decreasing vulnerability to global energy market fluctuations. Climate Goals: The tender aligns with global efforts to combat climate change, helping Tunisia meet its international commitments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and transition to cleaner energy sources. Technological Advancement: Encouraging private sector involvement in solar projects can bring in new technologies and innovation, potentially leading to improved efficiency and lower costs in solar energy production. Rural Development: Many solar projects are located in rural areas, which can lead to infrastructure improvements and increased economic activity in less developed regions, promoting equitable growth. Regulatory Framework: The regulated tariffs and long-term power purchase agreements provide a stable revenue model for developers, fostering a more predictable environment for investment. Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs): The government's engagement with private developers exemplifies a shift towards public-private partnerships, which can enhance project implementation speed and efficiency. Integration with Energy Policy: The tender complements Tunisia's broader energy policy, which aims for a more sustainable energy mix by increasing the share of renewables in the national energy portfolio. Potential for Export: As Tunisia enhances its renewable energy infrastructure, there is potential for excess production, which could pave the way for electricity exports to neighboring countries, thus fostering regional energy cooperation. Infrastructure Development: Successful implementation of solar projects may necessitate upgrades to existing energy infrastructure, which can enhance overall grid resilience and efficiency. Market Competitiveness: Increased participation from various developers can lead to competitive pricing in the renewable energy sector, ultimately benefiting consumers with lower energy costs. Raising Environmental Awareness: As renewable projects gain prominence, they also play a pivotal role in raising public awareness about climate issues and the importance of sustainable practices. Long-Term Energy Strategy: This initiative is part of Tunisia’s long-term strategy to diversify its energy sources, ensuring a more resilient energy future capable of supporting economic growth and societal needs.

they are set up on a water body. So this evaporation of water in nations like Tunisia, Which is water-stressed, certainly permits the dams to keep more water

discussed that there are three renewable energy programmes in Tunisia-- the concessions scheme for projects of over 100 MW, one that sustains

Tataouine Governorate. The solar facility was constructed in cooperation with Tunisia’s ETAP. No financial or technical details are revealed except that the

won the project in the international auction held by Ministry of Energy of Tunisia and STEG. The scope of work of the 20-year project ranges from designing to

by natural gas, production of which has gone stale recently, leaving Tunisia significantly susceptible to provide interruptions as well as unpredictable

Tunisian federal government has actually released a mandate that will certainly permit personal firms to generate renewable resource for self-consumption

stated recently on its website. The brand-new projects will certainly help Tunisia decrease its natural gas imports by 6% and reduce costs by TND 130

Tunisian Ministry of Energy, Mines and Renewable Energies has actually tendered another 70 MW of solar PV capacity. There are two parts to this tender. In the

Tunisian state-owned energy Société Tunisienne de l'Electricité et du Gaz (STEG) is planning a 200 kW floating PV plant at the Lake of Tunis in the capital. A press release provided by the power company stated the installation needs to be operational following year and will power the Tunis area of Berges du Lac. The project will be funded with an unspecified amount from the Private Sector Study and Aid Fund of the Directorate-General of the French Ministry of Economy. The plant will be constructed by French power gigantic Total, via its Qair renewables advancement business, previously Qadran International. The project will come under the guidance of the Tunisian Ministry of Energy, Mines and also Energy Transition, which has actually also asked Qair to examine the country's floating solar capacity. Qair is already constructing a 10 MW ground-mounted solar plant in Tunisia which was selected by the federal government in a tender finalized in June. In January, the Total-owned programmer safeguarded the tender to construct a 4 MW floating PV project in the Seychelles by sending the lowest cost bid for the power to be generated: $0.095/ kWh.

Solar has been awarded three solar power plant projects in Tunisia totaling approximately 360 MW, following an international tender launched by the

Tunisian prime minister Youssef Chahed has officially commissioned the country’s first large-scale solar park, the 10 MW Tozeur I solar facility. The project is owned by Tunisian state-owned utility Société tunisienne de l’électricité et du gaz (STEG), and is located near Tozeur, in the south of the country. STEG kicked off the tender for the project in 2014. Italian solar developer Ternienergia, won the €12.5 million EPC contract for the project in March 2017. The €16 million project was financed by German development bank KFW, under Tunisia’s Plan Solaire Tunisien (PST) program. KFW provided a €12 million low-interest rate loan for the plant’s construction, and a further €0.5 million for additional services related to the project. A twin project is coming STEG is also currently developing another 10 MW solar park in the area, the Centrale Photovoltaique Tozeur II. The tender for this project was issued by the company in December 2017. Both Tozeur projects are the only large-scale solar plants being developed in the country outside of the government’s tender mechanism, which includes two separate 70 MW tenders for projects up to 10 MW, and a unique tender for 500 MW of larger solar parks. Preliminary results of this tender indicate surprisingly low bids, the lowest coming in at $0.0244/kWh. Projects selected in all of these auctions are expected to sell power to STEG under a long-term PPA. Under its renewable energy strategy, Tunisia aims at achieving 4.7 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030.

Tunisia’s Ministry of Energy, Mines and Renewable Energies has kicked-off a third tender for the development and construction of several solar power plants not exceeding 10 MW in size. Through this third procurement exercise, the Tunisian government is seeking to build six solar power plants with an installed power capacity of 10 MW each and ten 1 MW small solar parks. The deadline to submit project proposals is November 26 and plants will have to be constructed under the Build Own Operate (BOO) mode. Selected projects will sell electricity to Tunisia’s state-owned utility, Société Tunisienne de l’électricité et du gaz (STEG) under a long-term PPA. The tender is part of a series planned by the Tunisian government, which aims to install around 1 GW of renewable energy capacity in the period 2017-2020. Through a first tender of the same kind, which was launched in May 2017, the Tunisian government contracted seven 10 MW projects from domestic companies and Tunisian-international consortia. Construction the first project started in May. A second tender for another 70 MW of solar was launched last year. In this process, the Tunisian authorities decided on six 10 MW projects proposed by Tunisian and international developers. The ministry is also preparing to tender another 500 MW of solar for larger projects. So far, it has released a list of 16 prequalified developers. The round will facilitate the construction of a 200 MW solar plant in Tataouine, in the Sahara Desert; two 100 MW PV facilities in Kairouan and Gafsa; and two 50 MW solar parks in Sidi Bouzid and Tozeur. Under its renewable energy strategy, Tunisia aims to deploy around 4.7 GW of clean energy capacity by 2030.