Tunisia’s government is working to put US$2.5 billion into solar power generation.
The government has said it will “inject” the funds in the Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company (STEG) to produce clean energy over the next four years.
Speaking Thursday last week during the closing ceremony of the 17th Congress of the Union of Producers, Transporters, and Distributors of Electric Power in Africa, the Minister of Industry and Commerce Mohamed Lamine Chakhari said the Tunisian economy would soon resume its normal pace following the move.
“All planned investments funded by STEG in the sector of electricity will amount to four billion dinars during the period of 2012-2016” Chakhari said.
African nations, according to the minister, were to utilize solar energy as the continents solar heat had that capacity. The nations could construct photovoltaic power stations to convert sunlight into electricity.
Tunisia receives average highs of strong solar rays. Tapping into them would give the country the much-needed power they need after the political revolution knocked down most of its grid supply lines.
The minister said the US$2.5 million is a big step towards lighting Tunisia with its own solar power.
The Tunisian government will use its arm Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company (STEG) to produce and distribute the energy.
Salim Maalel STEG’s communications officer agrees that the solar project would help increase productivity as a majority of firms depend on it for production.
Maalel argues that upon installation, solar power would cost less and serve as the best way of producing clean energy.
He said: “as a method of generating clean electrical power by converting solar radiation into a direct current of electricity, photovoltaics is the emerging sector that will benefit the most from this investment.”
