Tunis — For more than two decades, Tunisian authorities have invested in renewable energies as a way of achieving sustainable development, as well as saving on expensive petrol imports.

Today, especially in the aftermath of the recent soar in the prices of hydrocarbons, and within the context of a highly volatile energy market in general, that strategic choice is slowly reaping its fruits.

Solar energy has a bright future facing it, in light of the many partnerships that are shaping up in the sector. So far 62,000 square meters of solar panels have been installed against 57,000 in 2006.

Even if solar energy is mainly used for rural electrification and the pumping and desalination of sea water, more and more Tunisians are using solar water heaters in their homes. In 2009, some 500,000 additional square meters of solar panels will be installed, and plans are afoot to set up solar water heaters in hotels, university accommodation halls, and enterprises. Tunisia which boasts an average of 3000 hours of sunny spells per year, is ideally located to make good use of this cheap, clean and abundant resource.

Prospects to boost the use of solar power in the country have been buttressed by a feasibility study that is being carried out, for the building of a solar energy power plant.

Wind power is another sector which yields promising perspectives. The country's wind farms are currently producing 6% of the electricity and in 2009, new plants with a total capacity of 120 MW will be set up in Feriana, Kochbata, and Benouf in the governorate of Beja, as well as in Metline, in the governorate of Bizerta.

It is expected that by 2011, wind power will produce 300 MW. Previous studies have shown that the country's wind power potential is estimated at 1000 MW.

2009 will also witness the launch of a pilot project destined to produce bio fuel from non-alimentary vegetal oils.

Insofar as electronuclear power is concerned, a Tunisian-French cooperation program is expected to result in the building by 2020 of an electricity- producing nuclear plant whose total capacity is estimated at 1000MW, that is 30% of the country's electricity needs. Feasibility studies are also underway.

A seminar organized in November 2008, drew out the main lines of the project, as well as French expertise in the sector.

Tunisia produced 4, 2 million tons of petrol in 2008 and is expected to produce more or less the same amount in 2009 (4, 4 million tons).

The country which produces about 45% of its petrol needs, also subsidizes the price of its hydrocarbons, whence the need to invest in alternative sources of energy.