Electricity grid connection Tunisia-Europe (ELMED)

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The planned ELMED project is a strategically important integration of the respective power grids for Tunisia and Europe through the construction of a high-voltage submarine cable and associated infrastructure. The connection will enable electricity to be traded between Tunisia and Italy and the European interconnected system. Tunisia can thus diversify its electricity sources and increase energy security. The interconnector will also help to increase the flexibility of the Tunisian energy system, which is an important prerequisite for the planned integration of renewable energy. In the long term, the project will also open up the export of green electricity from Tunisia to Italy and the European Union. The project sponsor and borrower is the Tunisian energy supplier STEG, which is implementing the project together with the Italian network operator TERNA. This is the first time that a country outside the EU has benefited from a grant from the EU Commission's Connecting Europe Facility. In addition to the EU, the project is financed by the EIB, the EBRD and the KfW. The World Bank is also making an important financial contribution. The project is scheduled to go into operation at the end of 2028. The aim of the project is to promote cross-border electricity trade between Tunisia and Italy in order to increase energy security, reduce the levelized cost of electricity and improve market conditions for renewable energies in Tunisia.