Three solar plants totalling 700 MW enter service in Algeria

Three solar power plants with a combined capacity of 700 megawatts (MW) have entered service in Algeria in 2026, Algérie 360 reported.

The plants are spread across three wilayas: El M'Ghair, Biskra and El Oued. They were brought into service in two phases, the first in May and the second in October.

The first phase covered Tendla and El Ghrous, two plants of 200 MW each. Both were already working in April and were officially opened on 18 May by the minister of energy and renewable energies.

Tendla spreads over close to 400 hectares. Its first stone was laid on 25 March 2024, and its connection to the national grid now secures the electricity supply of the region.

El Ghrous responds to rising demand for electricity from farming, urban and industrial users in Biskra. Work on the site began on 22 April 2024.

The second phase came on 26 October, when the plant at El Foulia, in the commune of Guemar (El Oued), was brought into service. At 300 megawatts peak (MWc), it is the most powerful of the three, with 100 MW more than the other two.

The 700 MW equals 21.9% of the first stage of the national renewable energy programme, which is set at 3,200 MW. It is also 4.7% of the 15,000 MW target for 2035.

For households and businesses, the plants raise the share of renewable energy in the national electricity mix and reduce the country's reliance on natural gas.

According to the report, the long-term targets will depend on keeping up the pace of building, connecting the plants and running the many other projects under way across the country.