2023-09-02 16:11:00
TUNIS, Sept. 2 (Xinhua) — In Tunisia, the energy deficit continues to worry officials and experts alike, as it has reached nearly 60 percent of the country’s total trade deficit. in 2022, said experts and former officials, gathered on Saturday in Tunis around a debate organized by the Order of Tunisian Engineers (ILO) on the theme “Energy policies in Tunisia, solutions to ensure energy security”.
The President of the ILO, Kamel Sahnoun, recalled that Tunisia, “which has been an energy exporting country since 2000, is now a country suffering from a heavy energy deficit”, which represented nearly 60% of the total of the trade deficit last year, which was “an alarming and worrying indicator, all the more so as it weighs more and more on the national economy”.
For their part, Hamed Materi, international energy expert, and Mongi Marzouké, former Minister of Industry and Energy, called for a comprehensive reform of the energy sector in the country via a profound amendment of the Code of hydrocarbons, in addition to a vast national program in terms of renewable energies.
“It is also likely to conclude partnership contracts with companies specializing in this field in order to be able to reassess the country’s potential in the large Tunisian fields,” they said.
Among the alternatives considered, they mentioned the promulgation of a new law on hydrocarbons which would be more attractive to foreign investors and which would take into account the restructuring of the sector.
According to them, it is beneficial to put in place a unified contractual regime for research and exploration for all future oil contracts.
“The hydrocarbons sector has enormous development potential (…) However, it will require a new vision likely to boost investment and constitute a locomotive for the national economy”, affirmed Mr. Materi.
The former Minister of Industry and Energy proposed to launch a vast national program of self-production and self-consumption of renewable energies in the sectors of Industry, tourism, commerce, administration and housing: “the objective being to reduce the energy bill on the State budget and reduce the energy deficit from which the country suffers”.
“Renewable energy plays a vital role in the country’s sustainable development, but this should focus on clean, water-efficient energies, including wind and solar (…) Tunisia would also benefit from investing in green hydrogen which is currently seen as the energy of the future,” he explained.
According to figures presented by the head of the ILO, there has been a decline in oil production in Tunisia of 12% between 2021 and 2022 and of 7% for natural gas, once morest an increase in electricity consumption of 5% per year.
Faced with this situation, it is necessary to quickly find possible and profitable solutions in order to avoid a more serious energy deficit and to protect the financial balance of the country, indicated the official of the ILO. END
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