A Tunisian technical team will discuss the proposed combined-cycle plant with Algeria's Sonelgaz. No investment cost, construction date or final project structure has been announced.
On October 1, 2026, Tunisia's energy minister, Salah Zouari, said technical studies were starting for a proposed 1.4 GW combined-cycle gas turbine plant in Tunisia. A Tunisian delegation will discuss the project's parameters with Algeria's Sonelgaz, according to La Tribune's report.
The studies move the plan beyond earlier bilateral talks, but construction has not begun. On May 24, Algeria's energy minister, Mourad Adjal, received a STEG delegation led by Faisal Trifa. They discussed the 1,400 MW combined-cycle plant, electricity supplies and a proposed Algeria-Tunisia-Libya interconnection. Tunisia's Ministry of Energy and Algerian energy authorities have not published a final project design.
STEG scheduled rolling power cuts in several Tunisian regions during the summer of 2026 as the electricity system came under pressure. Human Rights Watch later reported interruptions at hospitals and water-pumping stations. Some outages lasted as long as 12 hours. The disruption echoed the strain described in earlier coverage. HRW linked the shortages to limited available capacity and peak demand. Air-conditioning use also increased.
Tunisia became a net electricity importer in 2021, after previously exporting more power than it imported. Imports fell by 21% in 2025 to 2.2 TWh, and Algeria supplied most of that electricity, according to Enerdata Global Energy Research. The May talks also covered power supplies and a possible grid link extending toward Libya, giving the proposed plant a wider regional context.
Several project details remain open: its location, cost, financing structure, how investment would be split between the two countries and its commissioning schedule. Officials are expected to consider the investment amount after assessing the plant's technical features and specifications. No approved sum or construction start date has been announced.
The proposed 1.4 GW plant will not add capacity to Tunisia's grid unless it moves beyond studies, secures financing and is built. For now, the next concrete steps are the technical findings from STEG and Sonelgaz and the publication of project terms.
