The project “Support to the Tunisian Solar Plan” (French: APST), aiming at setting up effective and efficient processes for the piloting, the achievement and the support of the Tunisian solar plan, was closed on Thursday in Tunis.
This project, whose objective is to enable Tunisia to reach the 30% share of total electricity production from renewable energies by 2030, was implemented in 2017 by the German Cooperation Agency (GIZ) and the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mines, in collaboration with National Agency for Energy Management (ANME) and the Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company (STEG).
For Mohsen Mansouri, Head of the Cabinet of the Minister of Industry, Energy and Mines, this project, which marked a crucial step in the Tunisian energy transition strategy, has significantly contributed to the development of the renewable energy sector in Tunisia, one of the main pillars of the said transition.
He stressed at the closing workshop held Thursday in Tunis that the APST project has helped since 2017 to ensure support during almost all stages of implementation of the national programme of electricity production from renewable energy 2017-2020.
He specified that several actions were carried out, in this context, including mainly the implementation of the photovoltaic calls for tenders under concessions (500MW), the development of several basic studies essential for the development of the national plan of electricity production from renewable energies 2021-2025, in addition to the training of experts from STEG and the Tunisian private sector (including banks and project holders)…
For his part, Director-General of Electricity and Energy Transition at the Ministry of Industry, Belhassen Chiboub, reviewed the support granted by the German Government, which (support) has allowed having the best electricity tariff in Africa for the renewable energy project of Tataouine of 200 megawatts, carried out under a concession project.
He asserted that this project is only the beginning for Tunisia to develop the Tunisian renewable energy programme, adding that a request has been presented to the German side to continue its cooperation with Tunisia, especially for the next phase of implementation of the solar plan.
As part of the national energy transition strategy, the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mines concluded in 2017 a contract for the implementation of the technical information project “Supporting the Tunisian solar scheme” financed under a grant from GIZ with a budget of 7 million euros ( 22 million dinars).
This project ensured the necessary technical support for the implementation of the National Renewable Energy Power Generation Programme 2017-2020.
Among the most significant achievements, the project provided support during most stages of the tender for the installation of 500 megawatts of solar photovoltaic energy scheduled on five different sites in the governorates of Sidi Bouzid, Kairouan, Gafsa, Tozeur and Tataouine.
According to the data presented by the Ministry of Industry, Energy and Mines, these installations have made it possible to obtain very competitive rates (80 millimes per kilowatt-hour), the lowest price obtained in similar projects in Africa and the Arab region.
Source: TAP News Agency