Tunisia’s state utility STEG has opened international tenders for a 50 MW solar photovoltaic plant with a 10 MW/20 MWh battery energy storage system (BESS) in Beni Mhira, Tataouine, and a separate 300 MW/600 MWh battery storage programme across ten grid locations. Together, the procurements signal a shift from renewable-capacity announcements to grid-flexibility infrastructure. The move comes as Tunisia pursues 35% renewable-energy integration by 2030 and 50% by 2035. Yet renewables supplied only about 4% of electricity generation in 2025, while natural gas accounted for roughly 95%—making storage and transmission investment as important as new solar capacity.
The first tender covers a turnkey contract for the Beni Mhira solar plant in Tataouine Governorate. It includes a 50 MWac PV facility, a 10 MW/20 MWh battery system, a 33/225 kV substation, a 1.2 km transmission line and associated grid-connection works. The second procurement is larger and more strategically significant: 300 MW/600 MWh of distributed battery systems at ten medium-voltage substations. STEG requires design, supply, installation, commissioning and maintenance to international performance, safety and cybersecurity standards.
| Project | Capacity | Location | Bid deadline | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beni Mhira solar-plus-storage | 50 MWac solar; 10 MW/20 MWh BESS | Tataouine, southern Tunisia | 10 December 2026 | New renewable generation and local grid support |
| Multi-site BESS programme | 300 MW / 600 MWh | 10 substations nationwide | 11 November 2026 | Frequency support, renewable absorption and grid reliability |
The standalone storage programme is split into three regional lots. The north receives 105 MW/210 MWh at Ben Arous, Gaafour, Mateur and Kchabta; the centre receives 90 MW/180 MWh at Msaken, Ksour Essef and Bir Lahfey; and the south receives 105 MW/210 MWh at Gabès Sud, Médenine and Midoun. This geography is important. Placing batteries at substations rather than only beside solar farms allows STEG to manage congestion, support voltage and shift electricity across regions. It also prepares the grid for more variable wind and solar generation without waiting for every new plant to include its own storage.
Tunisia’s installed renewable capacity reached about 1.21 GW by the end of 2025, an 11% year-on-year increase, with solar at 895 MW. But wind capacity has remained broadly flat at around 245 MW since 2018, and renewables’ share of generation actually fell to 4.03% from 4.4% in 2024.
The gap between installed capacity and delivered clean electricity points to structural constraints: grid integration, permitting, procurement delays and limited flexibility. Batteries can help absorb midday solar output, reduce curtailment risk and provide short-duration balancing as Tunisia adds more variable renewable capacity.
The 50 MW Beni Mhira plant is useful but small relative to Tunisia’s national electricity system, which generated about 22.3 TWh in 2025. Its 20 MWh battery can provide roughly two hours of discharge at full 10 MW power, enough for local smoothing and peak support rather than large-scale overnight shifting. The 600 MWh distributed fleet is the more consequential procurement. At 300 MW of power capacity, it gives STEG a meaningful network-level flexibility asset, though its impact will depend on how frequently it is dispatched, how it is remunerated and whether future renewable projects are coordinated with the new storage sites.
The Beni Mhira project is supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and is being procured through the EBRD-backed ECEPP platform. Bids are due by 10 December 2026.
The multi-site BESS tender was originally published in September 2026, with an initial deadline of 26 February 2026 that was later revised. STEG has now set bid submission for 11 November 2026, following an addendum that adjusted procurement documents and pricing schedules.
For developers, the message is clear: Tunisia is seeking experienced engineering, procurement and construction contractors with battery-system integration capability, not merely solar EPC firms. The requirement for cybersecurity and performance standards also suggests a more institutionalised approach to grid-scale storage.
Tunisia’s tenders create near-term opportunities for:
- Battery suppliers and system integrators targeting 300 MW/600 MWh of grid-connected storage.
- Solar EPC contractors bidding for the Beni Mhira plant and associated transmission works.
- Grid and substation specialists, given the inclusion of high-voltage infrastructure and evacuation lines.
- Financial institutions and development lenders supporting storage, grid modernisation and renewable procurement.
The broader opportunity is bigger than the current tender volume. If Tunisia is to move from a 4% renewable generation share to 35% by 2030, it will need a pipeline of solar and wind projects, stronger transmission links, storage procurement at scale and predictable payment mechanisms for independent power producers.
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What to watch
- BESS award: Whether STEG awards the 300 MW/600 MWh programme promptly after the 11 November deadline.
- Solar competition: The level of international interest in the 50 MW Beni Mhira project before bids close on 10 December.
- Grid readiness: Whether substations, interconnection works and dispatch systems are delivered alongside the batteries.
- Follow-on tenders: Whether Tunisia converts this first storage programme into a repeatable procurement pipeline.
- Target credibility: Whether renewable generation share rises materially from 4% toward the 2030 goal.
Tunisia’s latest procurement is not yet an energy-transition breakthrough. But by pairing new solar with distributed batteries and grid infrastructure, STEG is addressing one of the main reasons previous renewable plans underdelivered: a power system that was not designed to absorb variable clean energy at scale.
