The Ministry of Industry and Technology has finally issued its request for qualification (RFQ) for the 1,200MW Elmed independent power project, intended to supply 800MW for export to Italy and 400MW for state utility Société Tunisienne de l’Electricité et du Gaz (Steg). The main thermal power plant will be gas-fired, but in its latest configuration Elmed also includes a renewable energy component of at least 100MW.
The 800MW will be exported to Italy via a 170km, 400kV continuous, 1,000MW HVDC subsea interconnection between Cap Bon and Sicily, planned by Steg in partnership with Italian grid operator Terna – Rete Elettrica Nazionale SpA (AE 163/6, 148/10, 126/5). The generation scheme and interconnection are planned for commissioning in 2016-17.
The Elmed project has now been written into the Mediterranean Solar Plan (MSP), giving it access to European funding and Clean Technology Fund (CTF) eligibility. The MSP was launched in 2008 by the French presidency of the Council of the European Union within the framework of the Mediterranean Union initiative (AE 184/28).
The tender was launched in the name of the ELMed Etudes Sarl joint venture created by Terna and Steg in April 2009. Responses from potential build-own-operate-transfer (BOOT) contractors are due by 26 July, with proposals based on a 20 to 30-year contract.
Details may be viewed at http://www.industrie.gov.tn/fr/ projetelmed/interconnexion.asp. Clarifications may be submitted by email to [email protected].
Copies of the RFQ in Arabic, English and French are lodged in the Subscriber Reference Library at www.africa-energy.com.