Tunisia Heatwave Triggers Widespread Power Cuts, Economic Strain

TUNIS_ Tunisia is grappling with widespread power outages as an intense heatwave pushes temperatures to as high as 49 degrees Celsius, straining the national electricity grid and disrupting businesses and daily life across the country, officials and residents said on Wednesday.

The state electricity and gas company, STEG, has issued daily heat alerts identifying neighborhoods where electricity supplies would be temporarily cut to reduce pressure on the national grid. Officials said soaring demand for air conditioning has driven electricity consumption to record levels.

STEG Chief Executive Faycel Trifa said extensive use of air conditioners had stretched the country’s electricity network to its limits. Another company official told state television that electricity demand may have reached a record six gigawatts on Tuesday, surpassing the 5.6 gigawatts recorded only days earlier.

Although Tunisia has experienced power and water shortages during previous summers, this year’s outages have spread across much of the country. Residents reported electricity cuts lasting up to six hours in some areas, while others said interruptions continued for even longer.

The prolonged outages have affected homes, shops and factories. In central Tunis, a pastry shop employee said refrigeration systems had stopped working as cakes remained in the dark during repeated electricity failures.

The outages have become a major topic of discussion across Tunisia, with some residents saying they now avoid using elevators for fear of becoming trapped during power failures.

President Kais Saied described the repeated outages as abnormal and said those responsible for the failures should be held accountable.

STEG said the controlled power cuts were necessary to prevent a nationwide blackout as demand continued to climb during the heatwave.

Hela Tlili, a professor at Tunis El Manar University specializing in renewable energy, said the electricity system was struggling under record summer demand, which has also been driven by the peak tourism season.

Tlili said electricity consumption has been increasing much faster than production, while the country’s power infrastructure has failed to keep pace with rising demand.

Tunisia continues to rely heavily on natural gas for electricity generation. Declining domestic gas production has increased dependence on imported supplies, while financial pressures have placed additional strain on the state-owned utility, according to Tlili.

She also cited an aging electricity grid and years of inadequate maintenance as contributing factors behind the recurring outages.

Scientists say human-induced climate change is increasing the frequency, duration and intensity of heatwaves, placing additional stress on electricity systems in many countries.

Business groups warned that repeated power interruptions are affecting economic activity. The employers’ organization CONECT said the absence of precise schedules for planned outages made it difficult for companies to organize production.

A factory employee in a suburb of Tunis, who requested anonymity, said repeated electricity cuts had brought operations close to a standstill for two consecutive days. A butcher also expressed concern that repeated outages and voltage fluctuations could damage refrigeration equipment essential for preserving food.

Tlili said Tunisia should accelerate investment in renewable energy, noting the country’s strong potential for solar and wind power. She added that expanding electricity storage capacity would require substantial public investment and called for what she described as “a change of paradigm” through greater diversification of energy sources.

The extreme heat has also affected vulnerable households. Mariem, a resident of the Tunis suburb of Bhar Lazreg who asked to use a pseudonym, said she could not afford an air conditioner and had resorted to sleeping on the floor while her son used a frozen bottle of water wrapped in a towel to stay cool.

High temperatures have also renewed concerns about prison conditions. Cardiologist Dhaker Lahidheb called on President Saied to grant what he described as “climate pardons” to inmates with chronic illnesses who had not been convicted of serious crimes, citing concerns over the ability of prison facilities to cope with extreme heat.