Tunisia plans to launch international tenders in June this year seeking offers to build 2,000 megawatts of renewable electric power capacity, energy minister Naila Nouira said on Thursday, part of efforts to cut the country's natural gas imports.

Tunisia, which is facing a financial and political crisis, is trying to attract foreign investments in the energy sector.

The country in March granted licences to three international companies to produce 500 megawatts of electricity from renewables.

Tunisia's bill for gas purchases from Algerian gas company Sonatrach may reach $1.5 billion this year and the total bill will be $2.6 billion, including purchases from domestic gas producers, an energy ministry official told Reuters this month. This is up from $1.5 billion last year.

The country aims to produce 30% of electricity from renewables by 2030, prime minister Najla Bouden said this year.