Qair - Gafsa

pending

 The proposed investment seeks to support a 120MWc solar photovoltaic (“PV”) project in Tunisia (the “Project”) which was awarded by the Government of Tunisia in 2024 following a competitive tender to a consortium, coordinated and led on an operational day-to-day basis by Qair (“Qair” or the “Company”). Qair is an independent European renewable energy company with a global presence. The Project Company, a special purpose vehicle, Centrale Solaire Gafsa SARL (“CSG”) is currently under the process of being registered locally.The project will consist of (i) a utility-grade grid-connected PV array power system and (ii) a greenfield 12 km 150 kV Overhead Transmission Line (OHTL). The power system will include approximately 175,000 bifacial Mono PERC modules. Preliminary design indicates the plant will have inverter stations converting direct current to alternating current and transformers adjusting voltage for direct grid connection, with no storage batteries required. The plant will also feature ancillary structures such as an office and data control building, warehouses, workshops, and internal roads.The project is in the El Aguela sector, El Ksar delegation, Gafsa governorate. The site spans about 224 hectares, 4 km from Gafsa city center and 5 km from Mdhila. The plot is privately owned land, which Qair will lease through a willing lessee/lessor arrangement. The plant will be fully fenced, with access via an existing 12 km track along a railway on the northern boundary.Grid connection will be through a greenfield 12 km OHTL linking to the existing Mdhila substation. After construction, the OHTL will be handed over to Société Tunisienne de l'Électricité et du Gaz (STEG) for operations and maintenance. The OHTL will cross multiple land parcels with diverse tenure, including private, collective, and state-owned parcels. A Right of Way (RoW) of 14 meters on each side will be established. The alignment will also cross a commercial railway at two points.The project is in the design stage and expected to finish within 18 months after groundbreaking under a turnkey, fixed-price Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) contract with Qair International. CSG will operate the plant for 25 years before handing it to the Government of Tunisia under the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA).