500 MW Tunisia PV Tender

• Tunisia has issued a pre-qualification call for 500 MW of PV capacity
• It will be developed on build-own-operate basis in differing capacities
• The project capacity has been divided into five categories, with the largest of 200 MW to be developed in Sahara Desert
• The Ministry of Energy, Mines and Renewable Energies has also launched pre-qualification round for 500 MW wind power capacityå

The Tunisian Ministry of Energy, Mines and Renewable Energies has issued a tender for 500 MW PV capacity. It has launched a pre-qualification round for this capacity to be developed on build-own-operate (BOO) basis.

The capacity will be developed across various regions:

• Project A: 50 MW in the Tozeur governorate
• Project B: 50 MW in Sidi Bouzid governorate
• Project C: 100 MW in Kairouan governorate
• Project D: 100 MW in Gafsa governorate
• Project E: 200 MW in Tataouine governorate (in Sahara Desert)

 Interested project developers have to get in touch with the ministry for more details. In a separate announcement, it has also issued pre-qualification call for 500 MW of wind power capacity.

 Recently, the government announced winners of a 70 MW PV tender, for which it finally awarded 64 MW. It was in the form of six projects of 10 MW capacity, and four projects of 1 MW capacity.  

 Tunisia wants to increase the share of renewable energy in the total electricity production to 14% by 2020 and 30% by 2030. In 2015, it was only 4%. As per the Intended Nationally Determined Contribution (INDC) submitted to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the country aims to have 1,610 MW of PV capacity by 2030.