Prospects for the development of backup power storage in Tunisia

Is energy eficiency a key part of Tunisia's recovery plan?

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.

Why does Tunisia have a deficit in its energy balance?

Tunisia has witnessed growing deficits in its energy balance over the past two decades. This trend is largely the result of increasing energy consumption in all economic sectors, coupled with the decline of hydrocarbon production.

How can the Energy Transition Fund help Tunisia?

The Energy Transition Fund, Tunisia Investment Authority and Tunisian Guarantee Company can be complemented with guarantee funds or secure credit lines (e.g. liquidity guarantees or credit lines) to local commercial banks by international finance institutions like the French Development Agency (AFD) and International Finance Corporation.

Will Tunisia create an independent regulatory authority for the electricity sector?

• 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

What is the Tunisian Solar Plan (TSP)?

The Tunisian Solar Plan (TSP) is intended as the key tool to implement the strategy to increase the share of renewable electricity. The latest TSP version was updated by Tunisia’s National Agency for Energy Management (ANME – Agence Nationale pour la Maîtrise de l’Energie) in 2015 and adopted by the government in July 2016.

Does Tunisia rely on natural gas?

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.