Voltalia has won the rights to build a 130MW solar project located near Gafsa in south-western Tunisia.
Construction will begin in 2025 and commissioning is scheduled for 2026.
The project’s revenues will come from a 30-year power purchase agreement with Société Tunisienne de l’Électricité et du Gaz (STEG), the Tunisian public grid operator.
Tunisia is targeting a renewable electricity production rate of 30% by 2030, compared to 2.2% in 2023.
In a country that has more than 300 days of sunshine a year, solar energy is particularly competitive compared to thermal power plants that rely mainly on imported natural gas.
On the other hand, the country is particularly exposed to climate change due to the importance of its climate-dependent agriculture and its high level of urbanisation that is potentially prone to flooding.
Sebastien Clerc, CEO of Voltalia, said: “We are delighted to have won this project. Thanks to attractive climatic conditions, favourable government policies, and strong support from international financial institutions, Tunisia has great potential for renewable energy in the short and long term.”