The Ministry of Energy, Mines, and Renewable Energies of Tunisia has issued two fresh solicitations for the deployment of 1 GW of PV capacity.
In its initial solicitation, the Tunisian government is seeking offers to construct eight 100 MW solar power facilities. The land for the projects will be identified and secured by the developers.
The solicitation will be conducted in four rounds. The submission date for the first round of project ideas is June 15, 2023. The submission deadline for the fourth and final round has been set for an undefined day in September 2025.
The Tunisian government wishes to promote the building of two 100 MW solar plants in Hecha, Gabes governorate, and Khobna, Sidi Bouzid governorate, through the second tender.
The deadline for developers to submit their applications is May 18. The administration did not disclose any further information regarding the procurement processes. The selected projects will likely enter into long-term power purchase agreements with Société tunisienne de l’électricité et du gaz (STEG), the state-owned grid operator in Tunisia.
Through a series of 70 MW bids, Tunisia is supporting utility-scale solar. In December 2019, it also concluded a 500 MW solar tender. According to the International Renewable Energy Agency, the country’s cumulative installed PV capacity will be just 95 MW by the end of 2021. (IRENA).
