The construction of a 100-MW solar power plant in Kairouan is about to start. The Managing Director of AMEA Power Group, Mohamed Al Nowais, Minister of Industry, Mines, and Energy Neila Gongi, and officials of the African Development Bank (AfDB) and the International Finance Corporation (IFC) met in Tunis on Monday to discuss the project financial close.
The solar power plant in Kairouan is part of the first series of solar projects totaling 500MW. They are all registered under a concession program launched by the Tunisian government.
In order to support Tunisia’s energy transition, the initiative intends to diversify energy by putting a priority on sustainable energy.
Remarks on the Solar Power Plant in Kairouan
The Managing Director at AMEA Power, Nowais stated, “For nations worldwide, it is necessary to invest in renewable energy.”
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He made this statement in the meeting which was attended by Director General of Electricity and Renewable Energy at the Ministry of Industry, Belhassen Chiboub, and CEO of STEG, Hichem Anan.
The official applauded the efforts of the Authorities to meet the conditions to launch the solar plant Project in Kairouan.
Neila Gongi, the minister of industry, mines, and energy, emphasized the significance of investing in renewable energy in light of the global decline in fossil fuel production and reserves.
She asserted that the government is committed to encouraging investment in the field of renewable energy by eliminating obstacles. It also intends to abolish licenses for projects with a capacity of less than one megawatt. By 2030, Tunisia wants to have 35% of its energy come from renewable sources.
The AMEA Power Group, founded in 2014, now operates in 28 renewable energy projects throughout numerous African nations. In a joint venture with the Chinese firm Xinjiang New Energy, however, it was successful in winning the contract for the solar power plant in Kairouan. This was, however, achieved in an international bidding process run by the Ministry of Industry and SMEs in 2018.
