SolarPower Europe, Tunisia seek solar investment opportunities

SolarPower Europe signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Tunisian Solar Installers’ Association (CSPV) on 25 February in Tunis to seek investment opportunities in solar power. The MoU was signed at a workshop in Tunis where SolarPower Europe’s Emerging Markets Task Force issued a new report detailing the significant solar investment opportunities in Tunisia. The report provides a snapshot of Tunisia’s business environment, macroeconomic trends, and issues related to the country’s credit and political risk, Solar Power Europe said.
CSPV President Ali Kanzari noted that solar resources in Tunisia are abundant. “Combined with the proximity between Tunisia and southern Europe (180 kilometres), it makes a clear case for Tunisia to become a major provider of solar electricity for the European continent. This interconnection with Europe is no longer a fiction and should be accomplished by 2027. This will help the EU achieve its climate-neutrality goal, as well as give Tunisia access to Europe’s electricity spot market, which will support national demand during peak hours,” Kanzari said.
SolarPower Europe International Cooperation head Máté Heisz said the Emerging Markets Task Force continues its work on solar opportunities outside of Europe. “This new report shows that Tunisia has strong solar potential, which the government is increasingly harnessing. However, in order to effectively take advantage of this opportunity, the report issues a series of recommendations for investors, policymakers, and local stakeholders. We are also pleased to kick off our cooperation with CSPV, which will involve exchanging industry experience and knowledge, and ultimately boosting the energy transition in Tunisia and Europe,” Heisz said.
For his part, Antoine Poussard, managing partner MENA Region at Finergreen, said: “After a few years of strong commitment and support from the government, the Plan Solaire Tunisien is becoming a reality at a large scale, making Tunisia a strong renewable player in North Africa. The country managed to attract the best tariffs in all of Africa from prime global players on its concession auctions. The focus is now on successfully developing a market of mid-size projects to attract stakeholders (fund providers, developers, EPC contractors) from all over the world.”
ENI Energy Solutions Vice-President Stefano Mantellassi said investors seeking renewable energy investment opportunities are increasingly looking at Tunisia as an attractive market. “To satisfy growing electricity demand and meet its nationally determined contribution (NDC) to the 2015 Paris Agreement, Tunisia is stepping up its game to pursue its ambitious energy diversification strategy, promoting renewable energy development and energy efficiency. With an average horizontal irradiation of around 1,850 kWh/m2/year, the country has abundant solar resources. These resources are promisingly being developed to strengthen Tunisia’s energy independence, while also being leveraged for exporting clean electricity to Europe, creating value and jobs locally,” Mantellassi said.
On 25 February, SolarPower Europe, together with the Tunisian Ministry for Industry, National Agency for Energy (ANME), the Tunisian Energy Utility (STEG), the German development cooperation (GIZ) and CSPV, also launched the Tunisian edition of the “Operation and Maintenance Best Practice Guidelines”.
SolarPower Europe’s Emerging Markets Task Force identifies business and cooperation opportunities in emerging markets outside of Europe, with the aim of contributing to energy transitions around the world. The report on Tunisia is the seventh in a series of market reports – previous reports cover Mozambique, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Myanmar, Kazakhstan, and India.