Value chain assessment of solar technologies in Tunisia

adelphi analysed Tunisian enterprises’ potential to provide services and produce technical components for solar energy. The project was commissioned by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ). Its objective was to identify key industries and companies that could significantly contribute to the value chains of photovoltaics (PV), concentrated solar power (CSP) and solar heat (water heating systems). The project was conducted in cooperation with the Wuppertal Institut and Ernst&Young as local partner in Tunisia.

The project consisted of four working packages. It comprised an overview of the market development of PV, CSP and solar heat and a detailed analysis of the value chains of these three technologies. Subsequently, a survey of 100 to 150 enterprises from all relevant sectors was conducted to assess the companies’ technological and financial capacities. Companies that are particularly promising regarding the production of solar energy components received on-site visits so that more could be learned about their innovation strategies, research needs and international cooperation efforts. Based on the previous work packages, the project partners then developed recommendations and an action plan for policy makers and stakeholders from finance and industry in order to better exploit the potentials of solar energy, i.e. by manufacturing solar energy components for the Tunisian market as well as export.