Power back on in Tunisia after hours-long blackout

A sudden power outage hit Tunisia Wednesday, causing a nationwide blackout for about three hours due to technical problems, the electricity and gas company STEG said.

The outage came about 1:00 am (0000 GMT) "due to a sudden breakdown" in the Rades power plant in the southern suburbs of Tunis, the company said in a statement, without giving further details.

The electricity started to come back on about 4:00 am in several Tunis neighbourhoods, but the outage lasted more than four hours in certain areas, according to reports on social media.

انقطاع الكهرباء فى كل ولايات تونس بعد سماع انفجار مفاجىء!!
pic.twitter.com/SrolTC7Dxo

— Dr.Sam Youssef Ph.D.,M.Sc.,DPT. (@drhossamsamy65) September 20, 2023

Translation: Power outage in all Tunisian states after a sudden explosion was heard

Power cuts across all of Tunisia are rare.

During the summer, authorities were forced to stagger scheduled power cuts targeting different regions due to a searing heatwave when temperatures reached over 45 degrees Celsius (112 degrees Fahrenheit).

The state company supplies 99 percent of Tunisia's electricity, produced largely through natural gas, while renewable energy sources such as solar power represent only 2.5 percent of the total, according to figures published in June.

Being poor in hydrocarbons, natural gas comes mostly from Algeria supplied at preferential rates thanks to a gas pipeline connecting Algeria to Italy, which passes through Tunisia.

To complete its gas supply, Tunisia also imports gas from its neighbour Libya.