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The Elmed project, the plan to build an electrical interconnection between Tunisia and Italy, was at the center of discussions between the Tunisian Minister of Industry, Mines and Energy Fatma Thabet Chiboub and the top management of the World Bank.
During the meeting, which was attended by Ahmadou Moustapha Ndiaye, Regional Director for the Maghreb and Malta, and Paul Noumba, Executive Director for North Africa and the Middle East, highlighted the importance of Elmed as an “energy bridge” between the two shores of the Mediterranean.
Elmed will connect the electricity systems of Europe and North Africa, thanks to the synergy and cooperation between Terna, the Italian grid operator, and Steg, the Tunisian counterpart. The World Bank has approved a loan of 268,4 million dollars to support this strategic project, aimed at building a converter station and strengthening the Tunisian electricity grid. In addition, the project is part of the Country Partnership Framework (CPF) between Tunisia and the World Bank for the 2023-2027 period, agenzianova reports.
The Elmed project involves a total investment of approximately 850 million euros, of which over 300 million financed by the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), the European Union fund for the development of energy infrastructure. The European Commission has demonstrated the strategic importance of Elmed, allocating over half of the available budget of the 2022 call for proposals to the project. The power line will extend for approximately 220 kilometers, connecting the Partanna power station in Sicily to that of Mlaabi, on the Cape Bon peninsula in Tunisia. Of these, approximately 200 kilometers will be covered by a submarine cable, with an expected power of 600 megawatts and a maximum depth of approximately 800 meters along the Strait of Sicily. An infrastructure of this scale is unprecedented in terms of coordination between network operators, institutions, banks and territories involved, the same source added.
The Elmed project aims to ensure greater security, sustainability and resilience in energy supply, while also encouraging increased trade in electricity produced from renewable sources between Europe and North Africa. This is part of Tunisia’s broader energy strategy, which aims to reduce carbon emissions by 45 percent by 2030 and promote economic growth through investments in clean technologies. Tunisia is accelerating its path towards a sustainable energy future, aiming to increase renewable energy to 35 percent of total consumption by 2030, up from the current 7 percent. To this end, the Tunisian government is encouraging both national and international investments, in collaboration with the private sector, to develop projects in line with the Paris Climate Agreement.
During the meeting, Ndiaye reaffirmed the World Bank’s commitment to supporting Tunisia in its energy transition, while Chiboub stressed the importance of international technical and financial support. Tunisia aims to ensure a secure and affordable energy supply for all, while developing infrastructure for the use of renewable energy in the public sector, such as buildings and municipal lighting. Finally, the Tunisian government recommended the creation of a decree that obliges public institutions to use renewables, with a potential energy saving of over 200 million euros and a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 147 thousand tons of CO2 equivalent.
TunisianMonitorOnline (NeJiMed -Source agenzianova)
