The construction of a 75MW wind power plant in Chenini, Tunisia, is imminent following the signing of a technical and financial offer, and a lease commitment for the project. The offers were signed by the Saudi investment group, SWICORP, and the Spanish multinational infrastructure company, Acciona.
The scope of the project entails the installation of 14 wind turbines, 6MW each, in a mountainous area in the Tataouine governorate. The 75MW wind power plant project, the cost of which is approximately US$ 164M, will be the first of its kind in the region.
In addition to the wind farm, a 225-kilovolt transmission line will be built by the SWICORP and Acciona consortium from Chenini to Tataouine. The construction works are expected to start at the end of 2025 and take about one and a half years to complete.
Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company (STEG) will purchase electricity from the 75MW wind power plant in Chenini under the supervision of the Ministry of Energy and Mines.
The 75MW wind power plant in Chenini to contribute to the government plan to build 1.7 GW renewable energy power plants between 2023 and 2025
In January 2023, Naila Nouira announced the government’s plans to develop 1.7 GW of new renewable energy projects between 2023 and 2025. According to Mrs. Nouira who is the Minister of Energy of Tunisia, the projects would require investments of approximately US$ 1.6bn.
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Reportedly, the North African country, compared to its neighbors, has fallen far behind in the transition to clean energy. It currently has only 3.7% renewable energy in its energy mix.
However, it has huge potential considering its renewable energy sources. For instance, Tunisia has several regions with favorable conditions for the development of wind energy. The regions are especially in the northeast, center-west, and south-west regions of the country. They cover a total area of approximately 18,000 sq km, 11% of the total area of Tunisia.
