Tunisia

In Tunisia, Nur Energie is developing the world’s first CSP solar export project between North Africa and Europe.

For more information about the TuNur project please visit the TuNur company website: www.tunur.tn

Nur Energie has been present in Tunisia since 2008 working with local Tunisian and Maltese partners and investors to contribute to the solar energy industry in the region.

TuNur Project

The TuNur project consists of a 2,250MW solar CSP power plant in the Sahara desert and a 2 GW HVDC submarine cable from Tunisia to Italy. As the power plants become operational, they will generate circa 9,400GWh of 100% renewable and dispatchable power per annum. Power is then transported across the Mediterranean Sea to a landing point in central Italy where electricity generated will be transmitted to other European countries such as Germany, Switzerland, France and the United Kingdom.

TuNur is an inter-continental project with the aim of filling the renewable energy demand of European countries while also contributing to the development of solar energy in Tunisia and North Africa. In Tunisia the project will contribute to industrial development, improve energy security and will establish expertise in CSP technology and industry in the region. In Europe TuNur can provide benefits by enabling governments to fill renewable energy targets to increase renewable energy generation and reduce carbon dioxide emissions using a reliable source of renewable energy.

The site is located in the Sahara desert and has a solar radiation level of 2500 kWh/m2 annually. Nur Energie has built and maintained a solar weather station for 3 years on the TuNur site to receive real time solar data on the ground. Tunisia has up to 20% better radiation than some of the best sites in Europe, and the Sahara desert provides significant land to develop large scale solar power projects.

TuNur- How it works

TuNur as an ENTSO-E TNYDP Project

In November 2015 the European Network of Transmission Operators (“ENTSO-E”) confirmed that the TuNur application for the Ten Year Network Development Plan (“TNYDP”) 2016 has been accepted and the project is successfully included in the shortlist. The projects included in the final TYNDP shortlist will be eligible to apply as Project of Common Interest 2017 to get regulatory and financial support from the EU.

Location:

Rjim Maatoug, Kebili governorate, southern Tunisia

Solar resource:

Long term average of 2500 kWh/m2/year

Annual generation

9,000,000 MWh per annum (for 2GW)

Area:

10,000 hectares and 1000 km of transmission

Technology:

2.25 GW CSP central receiver tower with 2 GW HVDC submarine cable

Status:

Partially permitted