Wind energy deployment in Tunisia: Status, Drivers, Barriers and Research gaps-A Comprehensive review

In its contribution towards fighting climate change, Tunisia aims at reducing greenhouse gas emissions across all sectors through reducing carbon intensity in the country by 41 per cent in 2030, relative to the base year 2010 The Tunisia energy sector mitigation scenario is proactive and incorporates ambitious programs for improving energy efficiency and developing renewable energy resources. This paper reviews the prospects of one of the major renewable energy sources in the country: wind energy. It presents the state of wind energy sector in the world and tracks in particular, the evolution of wind power development in Tunisia since its initiation in 2000 till the present. The paper outlines the prevailing climatic conditions, the regulatory and legal instruments on renewables as well as national policies and strategies on the energy transition. The pathways to sustainable wind energy sector development is analyzed and discussed. Additionally, the wind energy research status in Tunisia is presented and the gaps in research are explored. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.