The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and French development agency Proparco are financing the construction of two 60 MW solar photovoltaic plants in Tozeur and Sidi Bouzid, Tunisia. This initiative supports Tunisia's green transition and aims to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels.
The EBRD's funding package includes a €12.5 million loan, supplemented by US$8.9 million from the Clean Technology Fund (CTF) and US$5.0 million from the Global Environment Facility (GEF). These projects will be developed by Scatec, a Norwegian renewable energy provider, in partnership with Aeolus, part of Japan's Toyota Tsusho Group.
The solar plants are part of the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) model, supported by Japan's Ministry of the Environment, and will provide low-cost green electricity. They are expected to reduce annual CO2 emissions by up to 108,000 tonnes once operational.
Nandita Parshad, EBRD's Sustainable Infrastructure Group Managing Director, praised the partnership with Scatec and Aeolus, highlighting the projects' role in advancing Tunisia's renewable energy sector.
Terje Pilskog, CEO of Scatec, and Hideharu Toba, President of Aeolus, expressed gratitude for the support from EBRD and Proparco, emphasizing the projects' importance in promoting renewable energy.
Since 2012, the EBRD has invested over €2.3 billion in 73 projects in Tunisia and supported around 2,000 local SMEs through EU-funded technical assistance.
