- Tunisia posted an energy deficit of nearly 10.8 billion dinars in 2024 due to rising oil prices and reliance on imports for two-thirds of its energy needs.
- An expert in development and water resource management emphasised the urgent need to identify solutions to curb the energy deficit over the next decade.
Tunisia posted an energy deficit of nearly 10.8 billion dinars in 2024 due to rising oil prices and reliance on imports for two-thirds of its energy needs (oil and derivatives), according to Hassine Rehili, an expert in development and water resource management.
He noted that Tunisia has faced this deficit for years but has failed to address the issue by securing necessary funding for the Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company (STEG) to invest in alternative and renewable energy sources, which would help reduce the energy gap.
Instead of pursuing this path, the country signed agreements for hydrogen production and export, along with deals involving companies and nations to offset their carbon emissions and support their energy transitions.
In exchange, these partners would assist with seawater desalination and solar energy projects aimed at green carbon neutrality—an approach Rehili argues conflicts with the principle of national sovereignty.
Rehili emphasised the urgent need to identify solutions to curb the energy deficit over the next decade, highlighting potential measures such as attracting foreign direct investment, empowering domestic enterprises, and prioritising investments in alternative and renewable energy, particularly solar power.
In this context, he called for addressing bureaucratic hurdles, streamlining lengthy procedures, and encouraging foreign investment, alongside the development of clear, policy-driven national programs.