Tunisia's Ministry of Industry, Mines and Energy is inviting private developers to submit applications to build and operate solar power plants across the country.

The projects will be developed under the framework of the sixth round of the licensing system for the full sale of electricity to Tunisia state-owned utility Société Tunisienne de l'Electricité et du Gaz (STEG).

The total allocated capacity for this round is 200 MW. Applications will be evaluated based on the date of submission and within the limits of the electricity grid’s absorption capacity at the level of the high-voltage (HTB) and medium-voltage (HTA) lines and substations designated for connection, the ministry said.

Project proposals can be submitted from April 15 to June 15.

In March, the Tunisia authorities launched a tender for the construction of a 300 MW solar farm and a 150MW/540MWh of battery storage system.

Earlier in December, Dubai-headquartered developer Amea Power commissioned a 120 MW solar project in Tunisia, the country’s largest to date.

The Africa Solar Industry Association's (AFSIA) project database states Tunisia has 728.8 MW of operational solar capacity. With Amea Power's plant now online, the country will be moving closer towards the 1 GW benchmark.

In March, the Tunisian government granted licenses for four new utility-scale projects with a combined capacity of 500 MW. The projects were selected under a 1.7 GW renewable energy tender.