• The EBRD is considering a €19 million loan to Qair for a 100 MW solar project in Gafsa, Tunisia.

• The €84 million project will receive €3 million in EU grant support and benefit from a first-loss guarantee under the EFSD+ Hi-Bar mechanism.

• Qair signed a 25-year power purchase agreement with STEG in March 2025 and is expanding rapidly across Africa.

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is reviewing a €19 million financing request from French independent power producer Qair. The loan would support the development of a 100 MW solar power plant in Gafsa, Tunisia.

The project extends the collaboration between the EBRD and Qair, which previously partnered on two 10 MW solar plants in Feriana and Tozeur.

The Gafsa plant will cost an estimated €84 million. It will also benefit from a €3 million grant from the EU’s Neighbourhood Investment Platform to finance a transmission line, and a first-loss guarantee from the EFSD+ Hi-Bar mechanism under the European Fund for Sustainable Development.

Qair secured a 25-year power purchase agreement with Tunisia’s national utility, Société Tunisienne de l’Électricité et du Gaz (STEG), in March 2025, alongside the concession agreement. The project was awarded under the concession scheme reserved for large-scale facilities.

Tunisia aims to generate 35% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2030, making the Gafsa project a key step in its energy transition.

Qair has expanded its presence across Africa in 2025. The company launched a floating solar plant in Seychelles, secured financing for a solar-plus-storage project in Mauritius, broke ground on two hybrid plants in Chad, and received permits for wind and solar projects in Morocco.

This pipeline, combined with steady execution and strong partnerships, has strengthened Qair’s standing with international financiers and reinforced its role in Africa’s renewable energy transition.

This article was initially published in French by Abdoullah Diop

Adapted in English by Ange Jason Quenum