Tunisia 500MW IPP Solar power plants projects are making headway. The government awarded contracts for the construction of the Solar Power Plants in Tunisia, as part of its efforts to move closer to its international commitment to the contribution of domestic renewable energy.
The contracts in question were awarded to; Scatec ASA, a Norwegian renewable energy producer formerly known as Scatec Solar ASA; Engie SA, a French multinational utility company; and a consortium of AMEA Power LLC, a Dubai-headquartered renewable energy company, and TBEA Xinjiang New Energy Co Ltd, an international service provider of system solutions for global energy industry based in China.
Locations of the Tunisia 500MW IPP Solar power plants in Tunisia
The new solar projects will be distributed across the North African country’s governorates. The IPP projects will be located as follows
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- 200 MW, will be situated in Tataouine, the southernmost of the twenty-four governorates of Tunisia
- 50 MW will be located in Tozeur, the westernmost of the 24 governorates, and
- 50 MW Sidi Bouzid, in central Tunisia.
- 100MW at Kairouan, a city in northern Tunisia’s inland desert, and
- 100MW at Gafsa, situated in central Tunisia.
According to a report published recently on the government’s website on the solar power plant projects, a total investment of more than US$ 400M will be allocated for the implementation of the projects.
Reported earlier
Dec 2019
100MW solar power project to be constructed in Tunisia
A 100MW solar power plant is set to be constructed in Kairouan Tunisia following the awarding of a tender for the development of the project by the Ministry of Industry and SMEs of Tunisia. The tender was awarded to a consortium consisting of TBEA Xinjiang New Energy Co. Ltd. and AMEA Power.
The project is part of the international tender for 500MW of solar power concessions launched by the government of Tunisia in 2018 as part of the country’s 2030 New Energy Vision. The government hopes to reach the lofty heights of 3500MW of renewable energy by 2030
Location
The 100MW solar project will be located in Kairouan which is the capital of the Kairouan Governorate and a picturesque UNESCO world Heritage site. A 20-years power purchase agreement (PPA) will be signed with the Société Tunisienne de l’Electricité et du Gaz (STEG). The power plant will be able to generate close to 250,490 GWh per year and will contribute to savings of 247,000 metric tons of CO2 emissions each year.
AMEA Power
AMEA Power is heavily invested in renewable energy projects in Africa. In December, AMEA Power signed a PPA with The Egyptian Electricity Transmission Company (EETC) for a 200MW solar PV project and a 500MW wind power project in Egypt. Before this in November AMEA Power also signed a PPA with Togo’s national utility company, La Compagnie Energie Electrique du Togo (CEET) for a 50MW solar PV project. This project is now under construction. Another PPA signed was with Chad’s Ministry of Energy for a 60MW solar PV project. Furthermore, the company has two projects under construction in Jordan; a 50MW solar power plant and a 51.75MW wind power plant.
Dec 2019
360mw solar power plant projects in Tunisia awarded
Three solar power plant projects in Tunisia totaling approximately 360mw have been awarded to Scatec Solar having won an international tender launched by the Tunisian Ministry of Industry and SMEs earlier this year.
Scatec Solar
“We are excited to have secured our first projects in Tunisia and the opportunity it offers to support the Government’s target to reach 30% electricity production from renewables by 2030. We bring with us solid experience from successful development, execution, and operation of projects in Africa and the Middle East over the last several years ”, Raymond Carlsen, CEO of Scatec Solar said.
360mw solar power plants
The solar power plant projects in Tunisia are understood to be of a capacity of 60 MW, 60 MW and 240 MW will have their locations in Tozeur, Sidi Bouzid and Tataouine respectively. The solar power plants will be under a 20 year PPA 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 save 480,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year. Scatec Solar will play a leading role as an investor in the projects. The company will also be the Engineering, Procurement and Construction (EPC) provider and also provide the Operation & Maintenance as well as Asset Management services to the power plants.
Currently, Tunisia meets over 90% of its electricity demand from oil and gas which places a huge burden on its economy. The availability of renewable solar energy from abundant sunlight and the falling price of photovoltaic systems has meant that the government can look towards developing this resource.
This project is one of several initiatives at using private-public partnerships to develop solar energy capacity in the country which currently stand at about 35mw. The Tunisian government’s strategy is to rump up renewable energy generation to 4.7Gw by 2030.
Jun 2020
100MW solar PV Gafsa plant to be constructed in Tunisia as part of the Tunisia 500MW IPP Solar power plants project
A 120MW solar photovoltaic power plant is set to be constructed in Tunisia, following the awarding of a tender for the development of the project by the Tunisian Ministry of Mines and Energy and STEG (Société Tunisienne de l’Electricité et du Gaz”).
The tender was awarded to a consortium consisting of Euronext-listed French electric utility company, ENGIE, and Morocco-based NAREVA. The consortium will develop, design, finance, and build the project, as well as operate and maintain (O&M) the solar plant dubbed ‘Gafsa plant’ over a period of 20 years from commissioning.
North African nation’s development programme
The project is among the first solar plants being developed under the Tunisia 500MW IPP Solar power plants model in the country and part of the North African nation’s development program for the renewable energy sector, which aims to achieve 30% of the country’s renewable energy production by 2030.
Upon completion, the project is expected to supply power to more than 100,000 homes per year and reduce 150,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.
Tunisia relies almost entirely on fossil fuels to meet its domestic energy needs. Over 94% of installed energy capacity in the country is hydrocarbon-fired. Tunisia imports most of its energy needs, despite being a relatively small natural gas and oil producer. The remaining 6% of installed capacity comes from renewable energy resources; mostly hydro and wind.
Solar energy capacity in the country currently stands at about 35mw. The Tunisian government’s strategy is to rump up renewable energy generation to 4.7Gw by 2030. The government has also focused strongly on energy efficiency as a way of diversifying its energy mix, with existing regulatory frameworks and energy efficiency laws.
