Tunisia has emerged as a central beneficiary of the European Commission’s newly launched T-MED Investment Platform, securing €172 million in EU support for two 100-megawatt solar photovoltaic plants and their associated transmission infrastructure. The projects, each backed with approximately €92 million and €80 million respectively, underscore Tunisia’s growing role as a linchpin in Europe’s strategy to decarbonise the Mediterranean energy landscape.
The T-MED platform, launched in Brussels on 26 October 2026, is a flagship component of the Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy and Clean Tech Cooperation Initiative under the EU’s Pact for the Mediterranean. It aims to mobilise up to €4.5 billion in guarantee capacity through the European Fund for Sustainable Development Plus (EFSD+), designed to de-risk investments and attract private capital for renewable energy and clean technology projects across the region.
Tunisia’s Strategic Role as an Energy Bridge
For Tunisia, the T-MED platform arrives at a pivotal moment. The country has set an ambitious target of generating 35% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030, a goal that requires accelerating its 1.7 GW renewable energy programme. The two T-MED-backed solar plants will directly support this objective while reinforcing private sector participation in the Tunisian power sector and strengthening national energy security and resilience.
Beyond domestic generation, Tunisia’s geographical position makes it a natural bridge between North African and European electricity grids. The ELMED submarine interconnector with Italy, a key infrastructure project, is designed to carry renewable energy from Tunisia to European markets. T-MED funding can help modernise Tunisia’s grid, expand solar development in the country’s south, and finance the specialised skills training needed to sustain this transition.
A Pipeline Ready for Investment
Tunisia has already validated a pipeline of 2,300 MW in wind and solar capacity, awarding four projects totalling 498 MWac to developers including Qair, Voltalia, and Scatec. Earlier EU-backed initiatives have also laid groundwork, with a €35.8 million grant package under the Global Gateway framework supporting a 100 MW solar plant in Sidi Bouzid and a 300 MW solar portfolio in Gafsa. T-MED is expected to accelerate access to European financing for these and future projects, aligning them with the EU’s broader goal of mobilising up to €25 billion in Mediterranean renewable investments by 2035 and training 10,000 workers.
A Region-Wide Ambition with Tunisia in Focus
The T-MED platform is already taking shape through concrete projects, with Egypt among the other major beneficiaries, including a €1.6 billion grid modernisation programme and a €575 million green ammonia facility. For Tunisia, however, the two solar plants represent more than just energy infrastructure: they signal a deepening partnership with the EU, which remains the country’s largest investor and trading partner, with European companies already supporting over 400,000 jobs in Tunisia.
The EU has framed the initiative as mutually reinforcing. “By bringing investors and project promoters together, with the support of the EU, the platform will help turn promising projects into concrete investments, creating jobs and supporting growth,” said Dubravka Šuica, Commissioner for the Mediterranean. For Tunisia, that promise is already measured in megawatts—and in a strategic foothold in the clean energy corridor between Africa and Europe.
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