Tunisia wants to take advantage of “Italy-Africa summit” to achieve its development goals in energy

correspondent Narjes Bdira) - Tunisia is taking part in the Italy-Africa summit held on January 28 and 29 in Rome, Italy, under the slogan "Mattei Plan for Africa", hoping to benefit from this international gathering to achieve its development goals in the field of energy in the long and medium term. President Kais Saied left for Rome on Sunday afternoon to participate in the summit, which is being attended by some 27 heads of state and government from Europe and Africa. In the face of the worsening energy crisis in the world, especially with the Russian-Ukrainian war, Tunisia is working to develop the energy sector by increasing the share of renewable energy in its electricity supply from 8% in 2022 to 35% in 2030. President Kais Saied underlined the importance of energy development, stressing, in statements previously published by the Presidency of the Republic, Tunisia's keenness "to create a sound and appropriate climate to encourage businessmen and investors to invest in the country and establish par tnership and exchange relations with their Tunisian counterparts in several promising sectors such as renewable energy, desalination, health and pharmaceutical industries." In this context, energy and hydrocarbons expert Ghazi Ben Jemii said in a statement to TAP that Tunisia plans to step up efforts to increase investment in renewable energy in the coming years. Ben Jemii explained that Tunisia's energy plan aims to reduce the country's dependence on gas production. He stressed the importance of overcoming the structural challenges facing the country in this area by working on the production of alternative energy (solar and wind) directly in the areas of consumption and on the production of hydrogen. In the same context, he explained that today it is necessary to develop the transport of hydrogen over long distances as a gas, which represents an alternative energy, pointing out that many European countries need this hydrogen and demand large quantities of it, which allows Tunisia to participate in this de mand and to be part of the EU market in this field. According to the National Energy Control Agency, the transport sector is the largest consumer of energy in the country, accounting for 36% of total energy consumption. The industrial sector is in second place with 30%, while the rest of the consumption is divided between the population's domestic energy needs and the supply of public buildings. 97% of Tunisia's electricity comes from fossil fuels, despite efforts to reduce dependence on imported fuels. New measures adopted by Tunisia include the announcement by the Tunisian Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy in January 2023 to accelerate the implementation of renewable energy projects. Efforts are being made to promote the use of solar panels as an effective alternative in the energy transition for Tunisian households and private companies, with the provision of loans to private companies wishing to transition to renewable energy. Renewable energy production, particularly solar energy, has developed in Tunisia in recent years, reaching an annual production of between 20 and 30 megawatts. The main objective of Tunisia's energy strategy for the horizon 2035 is to ensure the provision of safe, accessible and affordable energy for all. According to the Ministry of Energy and Mines, this strategy is part of a vision that consists of tackling the problem of energy security in the short term and ensuring it in the long term through a sustainable energy model. Tunisia has also set itself the goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, in line with its commitment under the Paris Agreement. The main objectives of the strategy are to ensure energy security, carbon neutrality, economic growth and a fair and inclusive social transition, which will help create jobs and promote the green economy. On the other hand, the modernisation of the country's energy sector is represented by the electrical connection with Europe, in particular with Italy, where the Elmed electrical connection project between Tunisia and Ita ly is one of the most important projects jointly financed by the Tunisian electricity and gas company and the Italian operator Terna. This project will enable the construction of a submarine link between Tunisia and Italy, allowing the exchange of electricity in both directions between the two shores of the Mediterranean, with a capacity of up to several hundred megawatts. The project is expected to be operational by 2028 and will strengthen and secure Tunisia's energy supply by allowing supplies to arrive from Europe during peak demand periods and when the price is cheaper. It gives Tunisia the opportunity to increase its production of renewable energy and export it to Europe, especially in times of energy surplus. This will allow Tunisia to reduce the cost of electricity production and increase the benefits of exchanges between the two sides. Regarding Tunisia's expectations from the current Italy-Africa summit, the expert told TAP that "finding a partnership for the production of major alternative ener gy projects in Tunisia and the completion of projects for the production of hydrogen in Tunisia and its export to the European Union is the main objective for Tunisia through this summit". The two-day summit (January 28-29) comes against the backdrop of the global and European energy crisis, as Italy seeks to secure energy supplies from North African countries and secure gas routes within its line to become an energy hub and bridge between the Mediterranean and Europe. Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse