Support for an Accelerated Energy Transition in Tunisia

Tunisia has adopted an ambitious energy transition (ET) strategy aimed at reducing energy intensity by 30% by 2030 and producing 35% of its national electricity demand from renewable energy sources (RES). Accelerating the pace of RE integration into the electricity mix is a key lever for decarbonizing the Tunisian economy and thus achieving the abovementioned objectives. However, the current share of RE in the electricity mix remains very modest, not exceeding 4% in 2021. It is in this context that ANME, with the support of GIZ, commissioned Econoler to carry out a study aimed at formulating innovative mechanisms to support solar photovoltaic (PV) projects in Tunisia, focused on community photovoltaic (PV) and crowdfunding schemes. Such mechanisms should accelerate the mobilization of solar PV potential, particularly for self-consumption (LV/MV) and authorization schemes, with a view to better meeting the needs of this market segment and generating demand.

Econoler was commissioned to carry out the following activities:

• Conduct an analysis of international benchmarks based on the experience of three comparable countries that have implemented specific frameworks for community solar PV and mechanisms for crowdfunding PV projects. The purpose of analyzing international experiences with specific mechanisms for community solar PV was to examine the legal, institutional, and incentive frameworks that had enabled the development of this type of project, the terms and conditions for project implementation, governance, and the ecosystem developed through the mechanisms.

• Support the organization of an exchange and awareness-raising trip, the destination of which would be determined following the benchmarking study, to examine and better understand the conditions for implementing and executing similar mechanisms.

• Assess the potential for community PV in Tunisia in different sectors and analyze the impact.

• Analyze the regulatory framework for renewable and other energies and identify potential barriers to the introduction of community PV and crowdfunding in Tunisia.

• Develop and analyze different possible scenarios for the development of community PV/renewable energy communities to assess their relevance and ability to ensure the highest possible penetration rate in the total solar electricity production projected for Tunisia for 2030-2035.

• Lead and moderate a working and reflection group bringing together the main project stakeholders to develop an operational roadmap specifying the actions to be implemented and the responsibilities of the various actors, enabling the integration of community PV/renewable energy community (REC) projects into the current renewable energy ecosystem in Tunisia.

• Support ANME in preparing a funding request for a community PV mechanism in Tunisia.

This mandate provided ANME and its partners with concrete elements for the deployment of an innovative community PV mechanism adapted to self-consumption regimes (LV/MV), with a view to accelerating the development of solar PV in Tunisia and attracting new investment resources, particularly through crowdfunding.