Tunisia launches first solar-powered charging station

Tunisia has inaugurated its first EV charging station powered by solar panels. A 22 kW recharging point will be used by the country’s National Agency for Energy Management (ANME). The pilot project also includes storage batteries. 

“This project aims to show how solar energy can be used to ensure 100% green transport in Tunisia”, said Fethi Hanchi, ANME’s Director General, at the launch. The charging station is open for use by public and private companies. 

ANME is committed to help those companies adopt EVs. It’s part of a multi-pronged, government-initiated push to increase the adoption of EVs in Tunisia: 

• Operationally, it has set up an electrification initiative in collaboration with the UN Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) and funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF). 
• Fiscally, the government has implemented a cut in VAT on EVs from 19% to 7% (for the duration of 2023) and a reduction of import duties on charging equipment from 43% to 10%.
• As a direct stimulus, it is granting 10,000 dinars (app. €3,200) for the purchase of EVs from this year up to 2025. 

Currently, there are no more than 100 EVs in Tunisia, mainly operated by foreign companies. The aim is to up that number to 50,000 by 2025, and to 140,000 by 2030 – which would avoid the emission of 2.2 million tons of CO2e of greenhouse gases. 

Solar-powered EV charging stations are ideally suited to promote EV adoption, as they solve the problem of using electricity generated by non-sustainable means; and to the African climate, which is generally sunnier than that of more developed countries.

However, the number of solar-powered charging stations on the continent is as yet quite small, with around 100 in South Africa and 50 in Egypt, 25 in Morocco and 10 in Kenya. For comparison: China has more than 1.8 million solar-powered EV charging stations, which is almost 1 in 5 of the national total. 

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