Spain-based global infrastructure company ACCIONA and Saudi private equity firm SWICORP have been awarded a concession to build and operate a 75-megawatt wind farm in Tunisia. The project will be located in Chenenni in Tataouine governorate and is estimated to cost around $165 million. The farm will consist of 14 wind turbines with a capacity of 6MW each, and a 225-kilovolt transmission line will be constructed from Chenenni to Tataouine.
Construction of the wind farm is expected to begin at the end of 2025 and take 18 months to complete. The power generated from the project will be sold to the Tunisian power and gas company (STEG).
The Tunisian government launched prequalification tenders for 500 MW of wind energy capacity in May 2018, and 12 developers were selected for wind projects in November of the same year. In March 2022, Tunisia granted licenses to three international companies, including Scatec and Engie Nareva, to produce 500 MW of electricity from renewables.
This is not the first partnership between ACCIONA and SWICORP in the renewable energy sector, as the two companies have previously worked together to develop three solar PV plants in Egypt’s Benban photovoltaic complex. This latest project in Tunisia represents a significant investment in the country’s renewable energy infrastructure, as it works towards achieving its goal of generating 30% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
