Tunisia is taking a major milestone in the energy transition and the protection of marine ecosystems. On June 29, 2026, in Ajim on the island of Djerba, WWF North Africa will organize an unprecedented demonstration: the first sea outing of a small fishing boat fully powered by a solar-powered electrical system.
This initiative is part of a broader project entitled « Decarboning small-scale fishing in Tunisia: promoting clean energy for sustainable coastal communities », funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO). It aims to accelerate the adoption of clean energy solutions in the artisanal fishing sector, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving the living conditions of fishermen.
The demonstration will implement an integrated device combining three key elements: an electric propulsion motor adapted to artisanal coastal fishing, a rechargeable battery ensuring the autonomy of sea trips, and a photovoltaic charging station powered by solar energy. The latter will be made available to the Fisheries Development Groups of Ghannouch (Gabès governorate) and Ajim (Médenine governorate).
Ajim was chosen to host this first experiment because of the vitality of its fishing community, the commitment of local actors in the energy transition and a particularly high solar potential.
An unprecedented advance for Tunisian artisanal fishing
This is the first operational demonstration in Tunisia of a solar electric propulsion system applied to an artisanal fishing boat. An innovation that provides concrete proof that a reliable, sustainable and economically viable alternative to traditional thermal engines is now possible.
Beyond the national dimension, this project places Tunisia among the pioneer countries in the Mediterranean in the decarbonization of small-scale fishing. It paves the way for new approaches that reconcile the protection of marine environments, the fight against climate change and the development of a sustainable blue economy.
The expected impact is significant. On the economic level, the reduction of fuel-related expenditure is a direct lever for improving fishermen’s incomes. On the environmental level, the project will contribute to reducing CO2 emissions, improving air quality in coastal areas and reducing marine pollution related to hydrocarbons.
It will also limit the underwater noise pollution generated by heat engines, a factor often neglected but crucial for marine ecosystems. Finally, the initiative should strengthen the economic resilience of coastal communities and offer a reproducible model at the national and Mediterranean level.
A structuring step for the energy transition of the sector
Deployed over twelve months in the Gulf of Gabès, the project aims to demonstrate the technical and economic viability of clean technologies in artisanal fishing. It also aims to develop innovative financing mechanisms to facilitate their dissemination on a larger scale.
Among the main expected results are the equipment of eight fishing boats with solar electric propulsion systems, the capacity building of more than a hundred fishermen and institutional actors, as well as the production of technical and economic studies accompanied by policy recommendations to support the sector’s national energy transition strategy.
source : le conomiste maghrebin
