Proposed Initiative Could Make Tunisia Regional Supplier of Alternative Energy

According to a major new study conducted by the German consortium Desertec Industrial Initiative (Dii), Tunisia could play a central role in the distribution of energy throughout North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe – with potentially massive gains to the country’s economy.

In fact, some of the recommendations of the study have already begun to be implemented in Tunisia. Nur Energy, a collaboration between the British solar plant developer NurEnergie and Tunisian investors, recently held a conference in Tunis announcing the commencement of construction on the world’s biggest solar energy export project.

This aligns with the proposals of Desertec Industrial Initiative (Dii). The Dii is a private, German industry consortium, bringing together 21 shareholders and 36 associated partners from all over the world. The organization has compiled a comprehensive study, entitled ”Desert Power 2050,” which was presented at a conference held yesterday in downtown Tunis.

The report evaluates North Africa’s potential to become a hub for the development of alternative energy solutions.

Privileged by its proximity to Europe and an abundance of renewable natural resources, North Africa could play a central role in an envisioned integrated electrical network joining Europe and the Middle East. Consisting of solar, wind, and hydroelectric means of electrical production, the backbone of this network would be the sun-soaked deserts of North Africa. The initiative is projected to be completed by 2050, and could significantly reduce electricity costs, break new ground in green energy production, and reinforce energy security for all involved countries.

The graphic below depicts the distribution of wind and solar resources within the greater European-Mediterranean region.

During his address at the conference, Paul van Son, CEO of Dii, expressed his confidence that coordinating renewable energy production between these three regions holds the key to providing long-term solutions to future shortfalls in traditional energy production.

“The countries of North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe are facing the challenge of giving future generations access to clean and sustainable energy. Thanks to the complementarity of their renewable resources and their seasonal demand for energy, these regions make ideal partners. As such, it is essential to cooperate, at the inter-regional level…to move towards a sustainable system that benefits all parties alike,” said van Son.

Below is a representation of the complementarity of the region’s renewable resources with respect to the supply and demand curves. “MENA” refers to the Middle East and North Africa, while “EUMENA,” to the combined European Union-MENA region.

According to Desertec’s research,which was conducted in collaboration with the Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company’s renewable energy branch, Tunisia’s wealth of solar and wind resources make the country an ideal location to base the anticipated EU-MENA energy grid. Given Tunisia’s capacity to accommodate renewable energy production on a large scale, this initiative would also allow the country to considerably reduce its dependency on fossil fuels.

Desertec’s report stated that by 2050 Tunisia can augment its electrical production capabilities by a factor of four through the use of wind harvesting, photovoltaic cells, and solar thermal technologies. The study argued that, through this initiative, Tunisia could become a world leader in renewable energy production, opening itself to new job markets and diversifying its economy.

The study also evaluated funding opportunities and laid out the technical and regulatory conditions necessary to meet local demand for electricity while delivering a substantial percentage of energy produced to centers of consumption beyond Tunisia’s border.

To this end, the Desertec Foundation, in cooperation with the Tunisian National Advisory Council for Scientific Research and Technology, has launched an initiative to enhance scientific cooperation. Eighteen universities and research facilities in North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe will collaborate through this network to promote the transfer of knowledge and expertise between the member institutions.