The government of Tunisia, through the Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy has launched a tender for the development of a 300-megawatt (MW) photovoltaic solar power plant with a battery energy storage system (BESS) under a public-private partnership (PPP) model in the governorate of Kébili.
According to a recent Invitation to Tender No. 01-2026, the project for the Bazma-Kébili photovoltaic power plant is to be developed in Bazma, and should include a 150MW / 540MWh BESS system and will be implemented under a concession agreement.
The integration of large-scale battery storage is a key feature, enabling the plant to deliver more stable and dispatchable renewable energy while supporting grid reliability.
The planned solar facility will be built on a site covering approximately 440 hectares. Tender documents will be provided to developers who register to participate in the bidding process, with registration open until 8 May 2026. The deadline for submitting bids has been set for 14 October 2026 at 12:00 Tunis time.
The Bazma-Kebili solar PV project was initially slated to have a capacity of 350 MW with BESS capacity within a portfolio of 2,350 megawatts (GW) of wind and solar projects cleared for tendering in 2026.
This tender forms part of Tunisia’s broader strategy to scale renewable energy capacity. Currently Tunisia remains heavily reliant on natural gas imports which dominate the country’s power mix, exposing the country to supply and price volatility. The North African country has set a target of generating 30% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030.
While Morocco and Egypt have led renewable deployment in North Africa, Tunisia represents an emerging market with growing policy momentum and investment potential.
In November 2025, the Tunisian government and the World Bank signed a financing agreement for the Tunisia Energy Reliability, Efficiency, and Governance Improvement Programme (TEREG), a key initiative aimed at modernising the country’s energy sector.
The five-year, $430 million programme—which includes $30 million in concessional funding from the Climate Investment Funds—is designed to help Tunisia attract $2.8 billion in private investment to develop 2.8 GW of new solar and wind capacity by 2028. It is also expected to generate more than 30,000 jobs, mainly during the construction phase of renewable energy projects.
In addition, TEREG aims to lower electricity supply costs by 23 percent, improve STEG’s cost recovery rate from 60 to 80 percent, and reduce state budget subsidies by 2.045 billion Tunisian dinars.
