Introduction

For more than three decades, Tunisia has adopted a proactive energy management policy aimed at promoting the sound use of energy and the development of renewable energies.

Despite all the efforts made in this area, the energy situation has been characterized by a growing deficit in the energy balance, an increasing energy bill and increased dependence on fossil fuels. In addition to these pressures, there are stresses associated with energy security, economic competitiveness, social considerations and the climate imperative inherent in the consumption of fossil fuels.

Faced with these challenges confronting the existing energy order, Tunisia has been committed, since 2013, to a medium and long-term energy transition policy, based on boosting energy efficiency and the large-scale use of renewable energies. The creation of the Energy Transition Fund (Fonds de Transition Energétique – FTE) in 2013 and the promulgation of the law relating to the production of electricity from renewable energies in 2015, represent important levers supporting this policy – a policy that aims at a profound change in the Tunisian energy landscape.

In this context, as the principal agent for implementing State policy in the field of energy management, ANME has been called upon to play a fundamental role in the energy transition process, in particular through the development of strategic, sector-specific, and individual research. Taking account of the past while looking to the future, this research represents an indispensable tool for clarifying the prospects and challenges of the energy transition, thereby enabling well-informed decisions to be made. These studies make it possible to define the objectives and strategic orientations of energy management policy and propose an action plan provided with the support measures necessary for its successful implementation in terms of institutions, regulations, finance, and capacity building.

To this end, the foremost work carried out to date has focused principally on:

  • The production of strategic reports in the fields of the sound use of energy, the development of renewable energies, and the mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions. This research is currently being updated;
  • The production of sector-specific reports, in particular on the energy mix for electricity production and the Tunisian Solar Plan;
  • Specific reports on energy management finance, in particular, the restructuring of the National Energy Management Fund (Fonds National de Maîtrise de l'Energie – FNME) and ensuring the efficient functioning of the Energy Transition Fund (FTE);
  • A study on institutional reform of the ANME, allowing the agency to be provided with the means necessary to achieve its strategic objectives and operate in an optimal and efficient manner;

The main objectives resulting from this research, since adopted by public authorities, aim by 2030, to:

  • Reduce primary energy demand by 30% compared to current trends;
  • Increase the share of renewable energies in electricity generation to 30%;
  • Reduce carbon emissions from the energy sector by 46% compared to 2010.