Conergy AG recently announced it is installing a solar energy system at a water desalination plant in Tunisia. The installation will become the second largest photovoltaic solar project in the country with a capacity of 210 kilowatts.

Construction for the solar installation has started and project leaders hope the system will be connected to the grid in March. It is expected the solar installation will provide 70 percent of the water desalination plant's energy needs. Conergy officials say the project will help kick start the renewable energy industry in Tunisia. 

"The Tunisian government is planning to expand renewable energies in the coming years and is making corresponding investments," said Conergy board member Alexander Gorski. "Experts are therefore expecting a market potential of around 200 megawatts there by 2020."

Sonede, the local water supplier and plant operator, will use 100 percent of the generated solar electricity from the new installation for the plant, which suppplies the local population with a total of 1.8 million liters of drinking water everyday. 

Bloomberg also reported that the plant will help Tunisia meets its renewable energy goals. The country hopes to install 1 gigawatt of solar, wind and other renewable energy projects by 2016. 

To learn more about the solar photovoltaic power market, visit PennEnergy's research area.