Three key drivers will dictate Tunisia's energy transition: energy security, given Tunisia's growing energy balance deficit; economics, given the relative decrease in the price of renewables; and environment, given the Country's commitment to reduce domestic greenhouse gas emissions.
The country has established a target of 30% renewable electricity production by 2030 in the Tunisian Solar Plan, first published in 2009 and revised in 2012. To enable renewable energy development, the Tunisian government passed Law No. 12 on renewable electricity production in 2015.
The electricity generation mix is dominated by natural gas, while renewable energy resources represented only 3.0% in 2019. This strong dependence on natural gas has serious implications for Tunisia’s energy security, since domestic production of gas has stagnated to the point of even declining in recent years.
• The procedures to create and establish an independent regulatory authority for the electricity sector are being finalised as part of Tunisia’s NDCs to ensure the achievement of its renewable energy targets. The authority will ensure compliance with regulations and will promote a transparent and fair competitive environment for private producers.1
Amid the coronavirus outbreak in early 2020, renewables and energy eficiency have become a key part of the country’s recovery plans. Tunisia has witnessed growing deficits in its energy balance over the past two decades.
Depending on the size of the project, Tunisia employs two different project regimes: the Concessions regime, which is applicable for large-scale projects typically designed for energy export, and the Authorizations regime, which is for projects with a maximum capacity of 10 MW, 30 MW, and 15 MW for solar, wind, and biomass projects, respectively.