Construction of Kairouan Solar Power Plant Reaches 82% Completion Rate
According to a press release from the Ministry of Industry, Mines, and Energy, the construction of the photovoltaic solar power plant in the M'thabesta area, in the Kairouan governorate, has reached a completion rate of 82%. The ministry also indicated that the 100-megawatt plant will be operational soon.
A Model for Renewable Energy Development
This project is considered a model for the development of investment in the renewable energy sector and a key pillar for accelerating the energy transition and diversifying energy sources in Tunisia.
Project Details
- Total cost: approximately $86 million (equivalent to 270 million Tunisian dinars)
- Financing: provided by the International Finance Corporation (World Bank Group) and the African Development Bank
- Plant area: 200 hectares
- Expected reduction in electricity production costs from natural gas: approximately 50 million dinars
Visit to the Construction Site
During a visit to the site, the Secretary of State for Energy Transition, Wael Chouchane, accompanied by Almod Fitz, Regional Director of Infrastructure for the Middle East and North Africa at the World Bank, reaffirmed the ministry's support for the project's success and the strengthening of the partnership with the World Bank.
Project Significance
This project is one of the most important initiatives aimed at rapidly integrating renewable energies into the national electricity system. It is also one of the first projects to be developed under the concession regime and is expected to start production before the end of the current year.
Context and Future Plans
The construction of the Kairouan power plant is the first step in the projects implemented under the concession regime, as part of the first phase of the renewable energy electricity production program. In this phase, five projects with a total capacity of 500 megawatts have been allocated in the governorates of Tataouine (200 MW), Kairouan (100 MW), Gafsa (100 MW), Tozeur (50 MW), and Sidi Bouzid (50 MW). In March, concession agreements for the implementation of four of these five solar photovoltaic energy projects were signed.
Delegation Visit
The Secretary of State was accompanied by the Governor of Kairouan, Dhaker Bergaoui, the CEO of the Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company (STEG), Faïçal Trifa, several high-ranking officials from the ministry, the General Manager of "Kairouan Solar" company, and representatives of the Emirati company AMEA Power, the project investor.
