Harnessing the power of the sun – renewable energy for Tunisia

Sofiane Kallel lived and worked in Germany for many years before returning to Tunisia in 2000. Having trained as an IT engineer in Karlsruhe, he is now helping to develop renewable energy in Tunisia – with two companies of his own.

Flexibility and a willingness to take a risk on new ideas

Sofiane took a rather roundabout path into the field of renewable energy. At the age of 46, after setting up his own IT company and then an automotive supplies business, he started looking into the business potential of renewable energy. He went to international trade fairs and prepared some initial feasibility studies. It was during this period that he met his business partner.

‘That was a great piece of luck,’ he says. ‘Like me, he had spent many years in Europe and then taken a conscious decision to move back to Tunisia. Those were key experiences that formed a bond between us. As a specialist in the energy sector, he also contributed a great deal of know-how, professional experience and valuable contacts to our business partnership.’ Together, they formed Shams Energy Access to implement solar and wind energy projects.

Read the full article via German Information Centre Africa.

[Photo by Walid Mahfoudh | Flickr]