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Mises à jour et événements

TuNur participates in New World Bank Program to Explore Concentrated Solar Power Potential in Middle East & North Africa

Mar 8, 2017

Morocco’s Noor-Ouarzazate Solar complex hosts the launch of the World Bank Middle East & North Africa Concentrated Solar Power Knowledge & Innovation Program

Kevin Sara, CEO of TuNur, presents at panel on Integrating renewable energy markets Europe-MENA

More than 100 senior energy officials from 7 MENA countries have gathered in Ouarzazate, Morocco for the first session of the World Bank Middle East & North Africa Concentrated Solar Power Knowledge & Innovation Program (MENA CSP KIP), a new program designed to support officials exploring the potential of Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) as a sustainable source for the region’s rising demand for energy.

Kevin Sara, CEO of TuNur, presented at the panel on integrating renewable energy markets Europe-MENA. The panellists discussed how CSP could contribute to the industrial and economic development of MENA countries through integration of Europe-MENA electricity markets. Fatima Hamdouch from Masen emphasised the renewable exports from North Africa represent a win-win trade that will benefit both Europe and North Africa by utilising natural resources efficiently and creating jobs and economic development. Kevin Sara further explained the market potential in Europe with the phase out of conventional power plants, increase in electricity demand and the resulting need for low carbon dispatchable power sources. Projects like TuNur can contribute significantly to the decarbonization of the European grid by opening a new energy corridor between North Africa and Europe for the transportation of solar energy from the Sahara desert to the European grid. At the same time, this new market opens the opportunity for a larger development of the CSP industry in the MENA region, which will provide a strong stimulus to enhance the Tunisian economy and further its path toward sustainable growth.


The World Bank and the Clean Technology Fund announced the launch of the MENA CSP KIP with an inaugural conference at Ouarzazate, the site of the world’s largest CSP plant. The new program will help inform decisions on CSP investment projects in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), a region with some of the world’s best solar energy resources. Alongside other clean energy options, CSP offers great potential for meeting global and national goals for clean, secure and affordable energy.

One of the primary advantages of CSP is that it can rely on thermal storage to continue generating power after the sun goes down. This makes CSP as reliable as the fossil fuel-driven plants it can replace. The program kicked off with a workshop on Concentrated Solar Power Markets, System Value & Financing.

The gathering in Ouarzazate —is the first of a series of conferences to be held through 2019. The program was launched in Morocco to draw on the lessons the country has learned with the launch of its ground breaking CSP program. Participants will explore lessons about development, technology and financing from Noor-Ouarzazate I, II and III, along with lessons from other CSP projects launched around the world.

About TuNur

TuNur is a solar export project from Tunisia to Europe. It aims to develop the first utility-scale solar export project between Tunisia and Europe. As a first stage, the project consists of a 250MW CSP Tower plant with molten salt storage with a dedicated HVDC transmission line from the site, landing in Malta. As a second stage, the project consists of 2,250MW CSP Tower plant with molten salt storage on the same site with a dedicated HVDC transmission line from the site, landing North of Rome, Italy. Once landed in Italy 9,000GWh per annum of low carbon dispatchable power will be transported to off-takers across Europe. The project will contribute significantly to the decarbonization of the European grid by opening a new energy corridor between North Africa and Europe, purposefully built for the transportation of solar energy from the Sahara desert to the European grid. At the same time the project will provide a strong stimulus to enhance the Tunisian economy and further its path toward sustainable growth.


Category: Updates and Events | Posted by: Daniel