Two recently announced projects aim to upgrade Tunisia’s electricity grid and improve power integration between Europe and Maghreb nations. According to International Monetary Fund figures, Tunisia’s economy has doubled in size over the past decade, from some $20.1 billion (at current prices) in 1998 to $40.7 billion last year. This increase — much of it prompted by Tunisia’s growing integration with Europe — has placed a significant strain on the nation’s energy infrastructure. To meet the growing needs of industry, tourism and individual consumers, the African Development Bank (AfDB) last month agreed to a $67 million loan to rehabilitate and restructure the national grid. The bank said current demand growth of five percent each year has led to network “saturation.” This has caused overloads, losses and high-voltage drops “sometimes in excess of 20 percent” — twice the Tunisian Electricity and Gas Network’s (STEG) contractual limit of 10 percent for the
