Tunis — The High Committee for the Private Production of Electricity, which met on Tuesday at the Government Palace in the Kasbah under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Kamel Madouri, approved two tenders for the production of 1,700 megawatts (MW) under the concession system.

"The work of the High Committee resulted in the approval of the proposals of the Technical Committee for the private production of electricity from renewable energy sources, by assigning the projects related to tenders 01 and 03 to the concerned investors to start their implementation according to the established implementation calendar. They are expected to be operational from 2027 and will have an economic, social and environmental impact," the Prime Ministry said in a statement.

The plants are expected to produce about 1,000 GWh per year, or about 5% of the country's electricity production, saving about 250,000 tonnes of natural gas worth about $125 million per year (at $500 per tonne), saving about 200 million dinars per year in electricity production costs, contributing to regional development, creating jobs and avoiding the emission of about 500,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year.

The Prime Minister stressed the importance of implementing the vision of the President of the Republic regarding the need to achieve energy sovereignty through a comprehensive and fair development approach that ensures energy efficiency and within the framework of an integrated system capable of attracting investors, implementing new projects and creating new jobs in sustainable sectors such as renewable energy.

Madouri also emphasised the need to accelerate the completion of alternative energy projects within the framework of the national energy strategy to reach 35% of alternative energy by 2030, stressing the need to overcome all administrative and procedural difficulties faced by these projects given their importance in ensuring energy security.

The meeting was attended by the Ministers of National Defence, Finance, Industry, Mines and Energy, Economy and Planning, Trade and Export Development, Agriculture, Water Resources and Fisheries, State Property and Land Affairs and Environment.