TUNISIA: Amea finally completes the financing of its 120 MWp Kairouan solar park

Nearly three years after obtaining the concession for the construction of a photovoltaic solar power plant in the governorate of Kairouan in Tunisia, Amea Power will finally start the work. This is now possible thanks to the completion of the financing necessary for the construction of the power plant. At least $86 million was thus mobilized by the ad hoc company Kairouan Solar Plant from the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the subsidiary of the World Bank group responsible for financing the private sector.

The African Development Bank (AfDB) is providing more than $37.5 million, including $17 million from its Sustainable Energy in Africa Fund (Sefa). The solar project is thus entering its construction phase in Metbassta, in the governorate of Kairouan. It is developed within the framework of a public-private partnership (PPP).

The financial close of the Kairouan solar project is “an important milestone for Amea Power and for Tunisia, as it is the largest fully developed solar project in the country to date. Despite all the challenges facing the market since the Covid-19 pandemic, we are proud to carry out this project and honor our commitment to supporting Tunisia's transition to clean energy,” said Hussain Al Nowais, the president of Amea Power during a ceremony with the authorities in the capital Tunis.

The Kairouan power plant, which will enter service in mid-2025, will have a capacity of 120 MWp, or annual production estimated at 222 GWh. According to Amea Power, its solar power plant will be capable of powering 43,000 Tunisian homes while avoiding emissions of 117,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO 2 ₎ over the coming years. For the record, Amea obtained this concession as part of an international call for tenders from the Tunisian Ministry of Industry and SMEs in December 2019.