- Launching these tenders for developing an installed solar capacity of 3,000 MWp in one year confirms the Algerian government’s policy of diversifying electricity production sources.
- The solar power plants with a capacity of between 80 and 220 MWp will be installed in 11 wilayas.
The share of solar energy in Algeria’s electricity mix is expected to increase over the next few years. This is the goal of Sonelgaz. The company that distributes electricity and natural gas in Algeria is launching a call for tenders to develop and construct 15 photovoltaic solar power plants in several regions of the country. The public company is counting on a capacity of 2 000 MWp.
The solar power plants with a capacity of between 80 and 220 MWp will be installed in 11 wilayas. In the region of Béchar, for example, 200 MWp will be developed in two municipalities, 220 MWp in the wilaya of M’Sila, 280 MWp in El Oued and 430 MWp in Biskra. Independent power producers (IPP) interested in the Sonelgaz tender have until 29 May 2023 to apply.
This initiative comes only a few months after the launch of a first call for tenders in the framework of the “Solar 1 000 MW” project. The selected IPPs will have to build solar photovoltaic plants with a capacity of between 30 and 300 MWp. These IPPs will inject their production into Algeria’s national electricity grid under 25-year power purchase agreements (PPAs). Launching these tenders for developing an installed solar capacity of 3,000 MWp in one year confirms the Algerian government’s policy of diversifying electricity production sources. By 2021, Sonelgaz had an installed capacity of 22 000 MW. According to the Commissariat aux énergies renouvelables et à l’efficacité énergétique (CEREFE), in 2021, the production capacity of renewable energies was 567.1 MW, including 438.2 MW excluding hydroelectricity.