The development of Sidi Mansour wind farm has set Tunisia renewable energy action plan 2030 on track. This is after the multi-national UPC Renewables and Climate Fund Managers (CFM) came together to develop the 30MW wind farm in the country.
In the action plan, Tunisia aims to achieve a target of a 30% reliance on renewable energy by 2030.
In 2016, Tunisia announced the launch of the Tunisian Solar Plan 2030 with the goal of increasing the share of renewables in the electricity generation mix from 3% to 30%.
The Sidi Mansour Project will assist Tunisia in meeting its renewable energy goal, reduce reliance on imported fossil fuels, and demonstrate that Tunisia is an attractive destination for renewable energy investments.
The Project will be one of the first wind Independent Power Producers (IPP) in the country. Climate Fund Managers is participating as co-developer, sponsor, financial advisor and E&S advisor to the Project, through the development and construction financing facility under its management, Climate Investor One (CI1).
UPC will lead the development of the Project with its local team that will lead land securitisation, permitting, grid connection, wind resource assessment, and engineering and procurement contracts.
READ: Tanzania’s first ever wind farm comes to completion
In January 2019, UPC was selected as one of the four awarded companies under the ‘Authorisation Scheme’ tender for the 30MW Sidi Mansour project in Northern Tunisia and subsequently signed a PPA with Société Tunisienne d’Electricité et du Gaz. UPC has been developing the Project for more than a decade.
Over its lifespan the Sidi Mansour Project is expected to lead to a reduction of 56,645-ton equivalent of carbon and create more than 100 jobs.
The total investment size of the Project is expected to be approximately US$ 40 million.
According to Brian Caffyn, the Chairman of the UPC Group, the construction of the Sidi Mansour wind farm can start before the end of 2020. The project, in respect to international environmental protection guidelines, will help stimulate the Tunisian economy, create local jobs and a social plan for local communities.
UPC-formed companies have developed more than 4,500 MW of now operating wind and solar projects globally while Climate Fund Managers (CFM) is a leading blended finance fund manager dedicated to securing a sustainable future through investing across global emerging markets.
