Tunisia’s ministry of energy, mines, and renewable energy has issued its fourth tender to develop 70 MW solar projects in the African nation.

The deadline for submitting bids is February 9, 2021.

The projects will be completed in two batches- in the first batch of 60 MW, each project would have a maximum capacity of 10 MW, and in the second batch of 10 MW, each project would have a maximum capacity of 1 MW.

According to the ministry’s procedure manual, eligible bidders must prove their experience in developing, financing, designing, constructing, operating, and maintaining a renewable power station of a similar capacity. Prospective bidders must also demonstrate that they have engaged and used the services of engineering, procurement, construction (EPC) contractor.

Bidders must indicate their experience in raising capital, borrowed from local or foreign sources. The bidder must also provide their financial statements for the last three years or any other document proving the financial capacity to assess the funds’ consistency mobilized for the project.

Prospective bidders must present an investment and financing plan of the project company and letters of intent from donors indicating their share in the project’s financing, the accumulation of which must be at least equal to the amount of the debt. However, the project is not eligible for the use of the reinvestment reserves established in Tunisia. The bidder must specify the land details through a sale or rental contract.

The bidder must also present a detailed technical study of the project indicating the nominal power of the project, detailed technical information of the equipment, an evaluation of the potential of the site by specifying the source and the measurement methodology along with the planning and layout of the power project among others.

Bidders must also indicate the local integration rate concerning the overall investment cost (excluding land acquisition costs) of the project. They also need to clarify the number of jobs created during the construction and operation of the production unit.

In December 2019, Scatec Solar, a Norwegian company, was awarded 360 MW of solar power projects in Tunisia. The company was awarded three projects following a tender floated by the Tunisian Ministry of Industry and SMEs. The three projects of 60 MW, 60 MW, and 240 MW are to be developed in Tozeur, Sidi Bouzid, and Tataouine regions.

Last year, in a significant boost to the Tunisian renewable energy sector, African Development Board approved €138 million (~$153.5 million) for the Tunisian Company of Energy and Gas to develop an electricity transmission network.

Before that, the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group, had provided a €40 million (~$46.2 million) subordinated loan to Attijari bank Tunisia, which is a private bank and part of the Attijariwafa Bank Group. The loan aimed to strengthen its capital base, grow its lending operations, and increase its volume of long-term financing for climate-related projects and smaller businesses.

Image Credit: EDF Renewables