The Tunisian Ministry of Industry and Small and Medium Enterprises has issued a list of the pre-qualified companies that submitted an offer for the ongoing solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind first round tender processes. 28 consortia have been selected and they include major players such as Enel Green Power, Masdar, Engie, EDF Energies Nouvelles and Total Eren. The process will move ahead and the chosen bidders will be awarded a 20-year concession (Build, Own and Operate scheme) and the right to sign a power purchase agreement (PPA) with the state-run utility STEG.
The solar tender was launched in May 2018. It includes the construction of five solar parks totalling 500 MW in five regions: 200 MW in Borj Bourguiba (province of Tataouine), two 100 MW facilities in the provinces of Kairouan and Gafsa, and two 50 MW solar parks in the provinces of Sidi Bouzid and Tozeur.
The wind power tender also proposes 500 MW of wind power projects, including a 200 MW project in Jbel Abdherrahmane (Nabeul governorate) and a 100 MW project at Jbel Tbaga (Kebili governorate). The remaining 200 MW will consist of projects with capacities of up to 100 MW on sites proposed by interested bidders.