Tunisia’s state utility, Société tunisienne de l'électricité et du gaz (STEG), has deployed advanced technologies in the Moknine region as part of a broader effort to modernize its distribution network.
The project is part of a 15-million-dinar ($5 million) pilot program funded by the U.S. government to upgrade critical electricity infrastructure.
“This project is fully aligned with STEG’s strategic vision to modernize the national electricity network and support Tunisia’s energy transition through the deployment of Smart Grid technologies,” Chief Executive Faycel Tarifa said.
The centerpiece of the Moknine site is a FLISR system — Fault Location, Isolation and Service Restoration. Deployed in partnership with U.S. companies E3-International, Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories and G&W Electric, the technology automatically detects outages and restores power, reducing the need for manual intervention.
Nokia has installed a private LTE (pLTE) communications network to support operations, enabling real-time monitoring of the entire distribution system.
The project is part of a broader Smart Grid initiative to transform the electricity system into a fully connected grid capable of optimizing the entire power value chain, from generation to end users. Running from 2020 to 2026, the program combines technical studies, training and advanced technology deployment, with the aim of testing a model for nationwide rollout.
STEG accounts for nearly 96% of national electricity production, with installed capacity of about 5,944 MW across 25 power plants. The Smart Grid program aims to reduce energy losses, improve load management and support the integration of renewable energy, which is expected to reach 35% of the electricity mix by 2030.
STEG faces a dual challenge: improving efficiency to limit energy losses while supporting the energy transition through better demand management. Over time, the technologies are also expected to improve customer relations, notably through the rollout of smart meters enabling more accurate consumption tracking and billing based on actual usage.
Samira Njoya
