Tunisia’s Solar Bet Pays Off. MED-GEM at Renpower Maghreb 2025

At RenPower Maghreb 2025, held in Tunis on 4 December, the mood among policymakers, financiers and developers was one of cautious optimism. Tunisia’s solar ambitions, long discussed, are finally beginning to take tangible form. The government’s 1.7 GW renewable energy tender for 2024–2026 has set the stage for large-scale investment, with new projects planned in Sidi Bouzid, Gafsa and Gabès. Private developers such as Qair, Voltalia and Scatec are moving forward with the country’s first commercially financed solar ventures—signals that the market is maturing.

The opening solar session, moderated by Karem Belkhiria of UTICA, brought together a cross-section of the ecosystem: Ghazi Koubaa of LONGi Solar, Amin Chtioui of GIZ, Amira Klibi of the World Bank, Mohamed Masmoudi of SATER Solar, and Dr Mustapha Taoumi, representing the EU-funded MED-GEM Network. Discussion centered on how Tunisia can transform abundant sunlight into reliable capacity while attracting long-term investors.

Dr Taoumi argued that solar energy now offers the surest route to energy security and competitiveness. With electricity still dominated by imported gas, “solar is cheaper, and less risky than waiting,” he said. Tunisia’s success, he added, will depend on grid upgrades, better financing frameworks and credible certification to ensure its electricity can be traced and traded under the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.

The MED-GEM Network, funded by the European Union and implemented by GIZ Ins, is helping countries across the Southern Mediterranean align with EU energy and carbon standards. Through regulatory guidance, training and its new Certification & CBAM Help Desk, it supports national authorities and investors navigating this transition.

Tunisia’s solar industry, long hindered by bureaucracy, is finally gaining momentum. If execution matches ambition, the country could yet turn its sun-drenched plains into a regional engine of clean power—and export sunshine to Europe.

Read the keynote