Tunisian authorities have resorted to rolling power cuts amid a severe heatwave , as many areas experienced power disruptions and outages after electricity demand rose by more than 30% above normal.
With temperatures reaching record highs, Tunisia has entered the peak summer electricity consumption period, prompting the Tunisian Electricity and Gas Company (STEG) to adopt a policy of "rolling power cuts", also known as load management, to ease pressure on the electricity grid and avoid a nationwide blackout.
The mechanism involves distributing electricity loads by rotating power cuts across regions and governorates throughout the day, resulting in recurring outages.
The director-general of the state-owned electricity and gas company, Faisal Trifa, announced on Wednesday that the company had been forced to implement rolling power cuts to avoid widespread faults or a total blackout.
Trifa told local radio station Mosaique that the company had recorded an increase in electricity demand of more than 33% compared with normal periods, stressing that demand had exceeded available generation capacity since last Sunday, making load-shedding policies necessary.
He said power cuts were likely to continue until the heatwave ends.
The electricity and gas company official said peak hours, which usually extend from midday until the evening, represent the greatest test for the electricity grid, as any technical fault or shortfall in generation could lead to disruptions that may develop into successive outages if loads are not managed proactively.
This year, Tunisian authorities prepared early for the high-consumption season by introducing a summer plan that included improving the readiness of power generation stations, accelerating maintenance operations and monitoring demand on a daily basis.
Cooperation with Algeria is also one of the main elements of the plan, as Tunisia relies on the electricity interconnection between the two countries to secure additional supplies when needed, providing immediate support to the grid during peak demand or in the event of sudden faults.
The cooperation forms part of a longstanding energy partnership between the two countries, which also includes natural gas supplies that Tunisia relies on as its main source for electricity generation. More than 95% of the country's electricity is generated by gas-fired power stations.
The director-general of the electricity and gas company said rising demand in neighbouring countries has prevented additional electricity supplies from Algeria and Libya, requiring reliance on domestic generation capacity.
He added that the company prioritises areas containing vital institutions and hospitals, while residential neighbourhoods are subject to short power cuts.
Tunisia has seen steady growth in electricity consumption in recent years, driven by the wider use of air conditioning, rising temperatures and increasing demand from the industrial and services sectors.
STEG records new annual peak demand levels every July and August, making this the most sensitive period for grid stability.
These pressures come as STEG faces difficult financial conditions due to the rising cost of electricity generation, mounting debt and higher global gas prices in recent years, in addition to delays in collecting payments owed by some public institutions and public bodies.
The Tunisian parliament recently approved a $430 million loan for the company to strengthen its financial capacity and ensure continued investment in electricity infrastructure, amid official assurances that improving the company's financial position is a fundamental condition for maintaining energy security.
Energy experts believe that load management and rolling power cuts are temporary solutions for overcoming peak demand periods, but they cannot replace the need for structural reforms , including upgrading transmission and distribution networks, increasing investment in solar and wind energy, and improving energy efficiency.
Article translated from Arabic by Afrah Almatwari. To read the original, click here .