Maher Ketari highlights 1,500 MW deficit and planning failures in Tunisia's electricity crisis
Maher Ketari, president of the finance committee of the Assembly of the Representatives of the People ARP, has provided a critical assessment of Tunisia's electricity crisis, citing a 1,500 MW production deficit and a lack of investment planning. He noted that while consumption reached 6,000 MW, the Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company Steg produced only 4,400 to 4,500 MW, with Algeria supplying an additional 300 to 600 MW. Ketari attributed the crisis to a failure in planning, specifically mentioning the abandonment of a 2018 power plant project in Skhira in favor of solar photovoltaic energy, which was not implemented at the necessary pace. He emphasized that new power plants cannot be built before next summer, requiring at least two and a half to three years for construction and international tenders. As short-term solutions, Ketari suggested accelerating photovoltaic projects, addressing financing obstacles, and exceptionally, renting floating power plants, which could provide 400 MW but at a cost of approximately 500 million dinars per month. He also highlighted the need to strengthen the electricity grid, noting that transmission losses are around 19%, and called for the state to settle its debts to Steg to improve the company's financial health and investment capacity. Ketari stressed the importance of clear communication with citizens about the situation and proposed that a motion of no confidence against the government is circulating in parliament, though he did not