The first floating solar power plant in Tunisia has begun to run next to an industrial park on a lake.
The 200 kilowatt project from the French renewable energy business Qair is meant to serve as a model for larger initiatives around the country.
“When we started at the time, it was the first project in Africa for a floating solar power plant, i.e. in the water. The originality of this project means we can use water instead of taking up land that can be used for other things like farming or homes”, said Omar Bey, executive for the French-based renewables group Qair.
Using floating solar panels helps to conserve water resources whilst making the panels more energy efficient.
“Floating solar panels first of all allow the reduction of water evaporation when they are installed on a water body. So this evaporation of water in countries like Tunisia, Which is water-stressed, certainly allows the dams to keep more water reserves”, concluded the executive.
Tunisia set ambitious goals for renewable energy in 2015, but natural gas made up the majority of the country’s energy mix in 2016 with green energy making up just 2.8%.
“We’re blessed with a lot of sunshine in Tunisia, and it’s not like in other places such as the Gulf, the solar panels have the characteristics and the sunshine is good, and we can exploit it, so why not let everyone put up solar panels? The field is developing and will keep on doing so”, said Hassen Amiri, manager of Sater Solar energy company.
Morocco, Tunisia’s neighbour, is in charge of the area. Currently, the nation generates about one-fifth of its electricity from clean sources.
