The SUDEP South participating municipality of Nabeul showcases the results of this EU funded action in Tunisia. A technical visit headed by Irène Mingasson, Head of Unit Regional Cooperation Neighborhood South, DG NEAR, European Commission and the European Union Delegation in Tunisia had place on Wednesday 14th of March. Representatives of the Municipality, National Agency for Energy Conservation, beneficiaries and other stakeholders run a field visit to the solar photovoltaic plant installed in the premises of the local municipality and in the ONAS waste water management plant in Nabeul.

These installations of more than 400 photovoltaic panels will lead to a reduction of more than 50 % of the energy consumption in the municipality. The solar plant allows a more efficient treatment of water waste, reducing the pollution and decreasing the energy bill, as well as contributing to a greener environment by using the treated waters for irrigation of agriculture.

A first field visit of university students was organised aiming at raising awareness among the local population in energy efficiency. The General Secretary of Nabeul Municipality, Mr. Yahia Abidi, expressed its satisfaction with the technical assistance provided by the SUDEP South Support Mechanism and Instituto per la Cooperazione Universitaria (ICU).

The SUDEP-South project began in early 2015 with 12 cities in 6 countries of the southern Mediterranean. The objective of the SUDEP Programme is to assist local authorities in responding to the sustainable energy challenges and to enable them to implement sustainable energy actions leading to energy savings, energy efficiency and more use of renewable energy sources such as solar energy.

SUDEP support mechanism activities are mainly focused on:

1.      Assistance to local authorities and reinforcing their capacities and their partners in the implementation of the demonstration projects.

2.      Promotion for the replication of innovative actions and the visibility of the programme’s results.

3.      Creation of an enabling environment for the exchange of good practices between project beneficiaries.

4.      And finally the development of their own local strategies to ensure widespread dissemination and sustainability of their projects.