The government announces a proactive water and electricity plan for 2027
The government of Tunisia announced on 11 November 2026 the preparation of an integrated prevention program in preparation for 2027, with the aim of ensuring continuous supply of clean drinking water and electricity during peak periods of consumption and avoiding frequent outages. This programme focuses on boosting water resources, improving the efficiency of distribution networks and developing production facilities, as well as enhancing reliance on renewable energy in various parts of the country.
Interventions in the water sector are allocated to the completion of 5 projects in the Greater Tunisian region at a cost of 7 million dinars, 9 interventions in the northern states at a value of 13 million dinars and 14 interventions in central states with a cost of 7.7 million dinars related to well drilling, processing and improvement of pumping stations. The programme also includes the preparation of 43 interventions in the south at a cost of 28 million dinars including completion, processing and connecting 29 deep wells, along with the acquisition of 30 electric generators in 2027, including 18 mobile generators to cope with supply and operation disruptions.
Minister of Economy and Planning Samir Abdul Hafez explained that the plan also includes the expansion of two seawater desalination plants in Sfax and Zarat to increase the production capacity of the first from 100,000 to 125,000 cubic meters per day, and the second from 50,000 to 100,000 cubic metres per day, in parallel with the completion of the project linking southern Sfax state with the desalination plant at a cost of 129 million dinars.
The Minister pointed out the completion of maintenance of the first unit of the 320-megawatt generating power plant, with plans to concentrate a third gas turbine with a capacity of 300 megawatts and an estimated cost of 600 million dinars.
These measures come after the seawater desalination plant by Mr. Abdul Hamid came into operation on 16 October 2026 at a cost of 130 million dinars and a production capacity of 570 litres per second to support the water budget in Sousse, Monastir and Mahdia states. The authorities are also seeking to address the increasing pressure on resources and avoid previous water and electricity outages in large areas by improving the performance of Tunisian company's electricity and gas stations to provide an additional capacity of about 250 megawatts during 2027 and 2028.
The plan aims to integrate about 300 additional megawatts of renewable energy projects before the 2027 lineup, along with continuing work on the expansion of Basidi Davud wind farm to add 30 megawatts, completion of a 50 megawatts powered solar power plant in Maharashtra region of Tataouine State supported by an energy storage system, as well as purchase of 200 megawatts gas engines and concentration of battery systems for electricity storage.
