Tunisia Comes Up With Solar Power Tenders Of 1 GW

Tunisia is catching up on its renewable energy targets to decarbonise its economy and add to the global efforts for tackling the challenge of climate change. In a fresh development, Tunisia’s Ministry of Energy, Mines and Renewable Energies has launched two new tenders for the development of solar PV projects of cumulative capacity of 1 GW.

The Tunisian government wants to build eight solar power plants having capacities of 100 MW in the first procurement exercise. According to the plans, the project developers will need to identify and secure land for the solar projects.

Tunisia aims to produce 30% of electricity from renewables by the end of this decade. The government is also looking to reduce its carbon intensity by 41% by 2030.

In the current scheme of things, tenders will be awarded in four different rounds. Bidders can submit the solar power project proposals by June 15, 2023 for the first round. The submission for the fourth and final round can be done in September 2025; the date is yet to be disclosed.

The Tunisian authorities will look to develop two 100 MW solar plants in the second tender in Hecha and Khobna, in the governorates of Gabes and Sidi Bouzid. For this, the project developers will be required to submit their proposals until May 18.

According to reports, the projects that will be selected for development likely sell green power to Société tunisienne de l’électricité et du gaz (STEG), the state-owned grid operator of Tunisia. Some long-term power purchase agreements are expected to be inked for the purpose. Other details of procurement are yet to be disclosed by the authorities.

By the end of 2021, the total installed solar PV capacity of Tunisia was merely 95 MW according to the IRENA.

Earlier this month, the African Development Bank Group approved a $27 million and €10 million loan package to co-finance the construction of Tunisia’s 100 MW Kairouan solar power plant. It’s one of the five renewable projects awarded in 2019 by the Tunisian government.

Recently, its Energy Minister announced that the Mediterranean country wants to add 2000 MW of green energy through RE tenders. In December 2019, Tunisia finalized a 500 MW solar power tender.