The Tunisian government says concession and authorization frameworks are promoting multiple PV projects, while new entrants including SoleCrypt are planning additional factories, increasing capacity, self-generation and panel imports.
After years of delays, Tunisia is accelerating the rollout of its large-scale photovoltaic (PV) sector. The Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy said construction projects are making tangible progress under both the concession and authorization frameworks, which structure large-scale solar development based on capacity.
Under the concession regime, reserved for projects of more than 10 MW, the first tender for 500 MW in five regions has reached important milestones. In Kairouan, the 100 MW plant, financed in 2023, is reportedly 95% complete and could be operational by the end of 2025. The Sidi Bouzid and Tozeur plants, each 50 MW, completed financing at the end of 2024 and are almost 80% complete. The Gafsa project, with an agreement signed in May 2024, is expected online after 2026.
The second concession programme, covering 800 MW on privately proposed sites, is also progressing. Three 100 MW factories have been awarded: Qair International will develop El Ksar in Gafsa, Scatec will build Mezzouna in Sidi Bouzid and Voltalia will build Menzel Habib in Gabès. Three bids submitted for the second round on June 30, 2025 are now under review and awaiting approval.
Another major tender, launched at the end of 2022 for two 300 MW power plants, has awarded the first project in El Khobna in Sidi Bouzid, where Qair International SAS will develop a 198 MW plant.
In addition to public programs, new entrants are also entering the market. Anglo-Tunisian group SoleCrypt has announced plans for a 60 MW PV plant in Tozeur, part of a wider initiative to eventually connect to the Medusa submarine cable, strengthening Tunisia’s energy links with Europe and Africa.
The authorization system, which covers projects under 10 MW, is also active. Fifty-four provisional agreements have been signed for a total of 261 MW, of which fifteen projects are operational: four 10 MW power stations and eleven smaller 1 MW installations. Between October 2024 and June 2025, 186 new contracts were awarded, adding 288 MW, mainly 1 to 2 MW plants, in addition to four 10 MW projects.
Self-generation is growing as businesses and households adopt solar energy. The ministry estimates that almost 400 MW of low-voltage PV capacity has been installed, of which 70 MW is operational, highlighting increasing consumer adoption.
This new capacity complements the power stations of the Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company (STEG). In Tozeur, two 10 MW power stations are fully operational: Tozeur 1 started testing in 2019, was partially commissioned in 2021 and has been running at full capacity since April 2022; Tozeur 2, which was commissioned at the end of 2021, has been operating at full capacity since June 2022.
Trade flows reflect this acceleration. Ember reports that Tunisia imported 655 MW of Chinese PV panels between July 2024 and June 2025, placing it sixth among African solar panel importers, behind Morocco, Egypt and Algeria, which each imported more than 850 MW in the same period.
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