To support the ambitious plans for decarbonizing the Tunisian power system, GET.transform teamed up with GIZ’s program, Support for an Accelerated Energy Transition in Tunisia (TETA)  through a Leveraged Partnership and contracted Energynautics to do an assessment on Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) for the integration of Variable Renewable Energy to the grid. The main BESS applications studied were backup generation and energy shifting.

The assessment consisted of:

• Sizing of BESS considering standard wind and solar PV power plants
• Modelling the operation of the BESS according to the availability of generation in the system
• Calculating economic benefits and performing a financial analysis.

The project kicked off in October 2022 and concluded in June 2023. Dr. Eckehard Tröster and Rabea Sandherr travelled to Tunisia to present the results and findings of the project. The event was held on June, 26^th in Tunis for representatives of the Energy Ministry (MIME), the utility company STEG and university researchers.

The presentations included an overview of BESS technologies and applications, considerations for and types of BESS contracts as well as international examples, and finally the findings of the case studies. These show that BESS can be operated in combination with wind and solar PV power plants to follow the load profile and provide benefits to the Tunisian system.