International energy expert Hamed Materi and former Minister of Industry and Energy Mongi Marzouk on Saturday called for a comprehensive overhaul of Tunisia's energy sector through a thorough revision of the hydrocarbon code and the launch of a large-scale national programme for the self-production of renewable energy in industry, tourism, trade, administration and housing. The two speakers, who took part in a debate organised by the Tunisian Order of Engineers (OIT) on "Energy policies in Tunisia, solutions to ensure energy security," reviewed the shortcomings and performance of the energy sector in Tunisia, which is suffering from an energy deficit that is constantly worsening, accounting for almost 60% of the total trade deficit (2022). Hamed Materi reviewed the plan to reform hydrocarbon exploration and production in Tunisia through communication with all stakeholders. The goal is to reduce pressure on the sector and develop and exploit the country's hydrocarbon reserves, he added. This plan should be based, among other things, on restructuring the sector to bring it out of its stagnation and unblocking the situation to promote the competitiveness of the Tunisian site. The expert proposed the launch of a national social dialogue with all stakeholders in the regions and companies in the sector to discuss their social and environmental responsibility and put an end to the policy of precarious and fictitious employment. To develop exploration, the expert pointed out that it is possible to discover oil deposits in new and old sites, provided that research and exploration activities are better organised from a legal point of view. "It is also possible to conclude partnership contracts with specialised companies to re-evaluate the potential in Tunisia's major fields," added the expert, calling for the promulgation of a new law on hydrocarbons that would be more attractive to foreign investors and that would take into account the restructuring of the sector. He also proposed a unified contractual regime for research and exploration and the adoption of a model contract for all future oil contracts. The hydrocarbons sector has real development potential, he argued, "but it needs a new vision to boost investment and become a driving force for the national economy." Mongi Marzoug, for his part, insisted on the need to launch a large-scale national programme for the self-production and self-consumption of renewable energy in the industrial, tourism, trade, administrative and housing sectors, in order to lighten the burden on the State budget and reduce the country's energy deficit. "Renewable energy plays a key role in sustainable development, when it is focused on clean energies that consume little water, including wind and solar power. The country could also benefit from investing in green hydrogen, which is currently seen as the energy of the future," he pointed out. Marzoug proposed the digitalisation of the energy sector and the use of data to rationalise energy consumption and make the most of new technologies in this field. Taking the floor, President of the Tunisian Order of Engineers (OIT) Kamel Sahnoun laid emphasis on the need to develop renewable energy as a real alternative to reduce the energy deficit, criticising the low rate of integration of renewable energy into the energy mix, which to date has not exceeded 3%, whereas the national target is to reach 30% by 2030. He called for adherence to international policies aimed at promoting green hydrogen, despite the high cost of its production, given Tunisia's strategic position, its proximity to Europe and its capacity to export this alternative energy.

Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse