Mediterranean Solar Plan: Tunisia gets lion’s share of projects
TUNISIAONLINENEWS- Experts agree that the Mediterranean region will face major energy and climate change challenges in the coming decades. For this reason, Mediterranean countries are bound together to cope with this energy and climate situation by developing adequate policies in the field of energy efficiency and energy savings, renewable energies and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in particular in the context of the future international post-Kyoto agreement to be decided in December 2009 in Copenhagen.
As part of the pilot phase (2009-2011) of the Mediterranean Solar Plan (MSP) to be launched as part of the Union for the Mediterranean project Tunisia will develop some 26 renewable energy projects which are expected to generate some 3042 MW of electric power.
In terms of share of installed capacities by country, Tunisia gets 26% of shares , immediately following Jordan (32%) but preceding all other Arab and Middle Eastern countries such as Morocco (14%), Egypt (9%), Turkey and Algeria (7%) and Syria (3%).
Following the first phase of the project, the MSP will go through a deployment phase (2011-2020) which is expected to be financed by the World Bank and the European Development Bank. Ultimately the project will make it possible to set up an effective green electricity import –export framework of the Trans- European Networks (TEN) initiative. (source: “Observatoire Mediterraneen de l’Energie” (OME).
Recently, Tunisia adhered to the “Desertec” project to develop solar energy in southern Mediterranean countries. The country has already identified several sites for the setting up of thermo solar plants.
The plan which covers the 2010-2016 period, is estimated at 4 billion dinars. It includes 40 projects involving water heating, water pumping, refrigerating activities as well as 3 wind farming projects.
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