Tunisia, 24 March 2025 – The Republic of Tunisia, represented by the Ministry of Economy and Planning, the Ministry of Industry, Mines, and Energy, and the state-owned power utility, la Société Tunisienne de l’Electricité et du Gaz (STEG), has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the African Trade & Investment Development Insurance (ATIDI) to introduce the Regional Liquidity Support Facility (RLSF) in the country. This milestone marks a significant step towards strengthening Tunisia’s energy sector and supporting its ambitious renewable energy targets.
RLSF, supported by the KfW Development Bank and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), is a guarantee instrument designed to protect Independent Power Producers (IPPs) from delayed payments by state-owned utilities. By mitigating payment risks, RLSF aims to unlock private sector investment in renewable energy projects, contributing to Tunisia’s transition to sustainable energy sources. Tunisia becomes the 12th African country to sign the RLSF MoU, joining Benin, Burundi, Côte d’Ivoire, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Togo, Uganda, and Zambia.
Tunisia’s energy sector currently relies heavily on natural gas, with a significant portion being imported. However, the country has set ambitious targets to increase the share of renewable energy in its energy mix, aiming to generate 30% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030. Tunisia benefits from abundant solar and wind energy resources, which provide a strong foundation for the development of renewable energy projects. The introduction of RLSF is expected to accelerate the country’s shift to cleaner energy sources by encouraging more private sector participation in renewable energy projects.
While the signing of the RLSF MoU represents a critical development, Tunisia is pursuing the process of becoming a Member State of ATIDI. Membership is a key requirement for the effective deployment of RLSF in the country. Once this process is finalized, Tunisia will gain access to the full suite of ATIDI’s de-risking solutions, which are designed to enhance investor confidence and support the country’s economic growth.
Quote from Manuel Moses, CEO, ATIDI
“We are pleased to have signed the RLSF MoU with the Government of Tunisia; this underscores our shared commitment to fostering renewable energy development and sustainable economic growth. We look forward to welcoming Tunisia as a full member of ATIDI, which will enable us to extend the benefits of our de-risking solutions and support transformative investments in the country.”
ATIDI remains committed to working closely with the Government of Tunisia to complete the membership process and to facilitating the deployment of RLSF in the county. This agreement reinforces ATIDI’s strategic role in driving investment and enhancing energy security across Africa.
About ATIDI
ATIDI was founded in 2001 by African States to cover trade and investment risks of companies doing business in Africa. ATIDI predominantly provides Political Risk, Credit Insurance and, Surety Insurance. Since inception, ATIDI has supported USD88 billion worth of investments and trade into Africa. For over a decade, ATIDI has maintained an ‘A/Stable’ rating for Financial Strength and Counterparty Credit by Standard & Poor’s (S&P), and in 2019, ATIDI obtained an A3/Stable rating from Moody’s, which has now been revised to A2/Positive.
More about ATIDI: www.atidi.africa
Media registration link: https://www.atidi.africa/media-kit/
About the Regional Liquidity Support Facility (RLSF)
RLSF is a guarantee instrument provided by ATIDI to renewable energy Independent Power Producers (IPPs) that sell the electricity generated by their projects to state-owned power utilities, located in ATIDI member states that have signed the RLSF Memorandum of Understanding. RLSF was launched in 2017 by ATIDi and the German Development Bank, KfW Development Bank, with financing from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ); in 2022, the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) committed additional funding towards its continued implementation. RLSF has a capacity of USD153.7 million and supports small and mid-scale renewable energy projects with an installed capacity of up to 100 MW (larger projects can be considered on a case-by-case basis) by protecting the projects against the risk of delayed payments by public offtakers; in turn improving project bankability and ensuring that more projects reach financial close.
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