Scatec Solar Bags 3 Solar Projects Worth 360 MW in Tunisia

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

Scatec Solar has been awarded three solar power plant projects in Tunisia totaling approximately 360 MW, following an international tender launched by the Tunisian Ministry of Industry and SMEs earlier this year.

“We are excited to secure our first projects in Tunisia, supporting the Government’s target to reach 30 percent electricity production from renewables by 2030. We have solid experience from successful development, execution and operation of projects in Africa and the Middle East over the last years that we bring with us as we enter this new market”, said Raymond Carlsen, CEO of Scatec Solar.  

The three projects of approximately 60 MW, 60 MW and 240 MW will be located in Tozeur, Sidi Bouzid and Tataouine respectively. The solar power plants will hold 20 years of PPAs with Société Tunisienne de l’Electricité et du Gaz (STEG). The solar plants are expected to generate about 830 GWh per year, enough electricity to power more than 300,000 Tunisian households annually and contributing to avoid 480,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.

Scatec Solar will be the lead equity investor in the projects. The company will also be the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) provider and provide Operation & Maintenance as well as Asset Management services to the power plants.

Since the end of 2016, the Tunisian government has embarked on the implementation of its programme for the development of electricity production from renewables. In this framework, the Ministry of Industry and SMEs launched an international tender for solar PV projects in 2019.

In October, the firm had announced that it had, along with its partners, grid-connected the last of the six 65 MW solar power plants in Egypt. Marking the completion of the 390 MW Benban solar project located near Aswan in Upper Egypt. The project is part of the 1.8 GW Benban solar park, one of the world’s biggest solar parks where Scatec Solar is the largest developer.

In April 2017, Scatec Solar and partners KLP Norfund and Africa 50 signed a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the Government of Egypt for delivery of electricity from six solar plants, totaling 390 MW.