Anglo-Tunisian data center and solar developer SoleCrypt is planning to build a 20MW data center in Bizerte, in northern Tunisia, in partnership with Schneider Electric.

According to the companies, the data center will be located at the landing point for three submarine cables, including the 8,700km (5,405 miles) Medusa subsea cable, which spans 19 landing sites across Europe and North Africa.

The companies said that the project will be powered by 100 percent renewable energy, generated by a 60MW solar project in the Tozeur desert. The solar project, known as site T60, is being developed by SoleCrypt. The project is currently under development, with the company achieving operational status at the site's base camp in November.

The next steps for the project include ground-profiling and layout validation, preparation for technical contractors, and continued coordination with local authorities and national stakeholders. The company has not disclosed when it expects the site to be fully operational.

The data center is part of a broader partnership between SoleCrypt and Schneider, with the two companies signing a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to design and develop next-generation data centers dedicated to AI, integrating high-energy-efficiency and low-water-consumption architectures aligned with best sustainability practices across Tunisia.

“Our project positions Tunisia as a true digital bridge between Africa and Europe, serving industrial players, fintechs, and artificial intelligence laboratories. We want to work with Schneider Electric to transform Tunisia into a Mediterranean super hub for sustainable digital infrastructure,” said Amir Ben Gacem, CEO of SoleCrypt.

Under the terms of the MoU, SoleCrypt intends to provide strategic sites across Tunisia with strong connectivity to the national power grid and telecommunications infrastructure, enabling sub-millisecond latency to Europe. Schneider will act as the key technology advisor on the projects, supplying AI data center reference architectures co-developed with Nvidia, as well as medium- and low-voltage electrification solutions, secure power systems, liquid cooling, and intelligent infrastructure management through EcoStruxure IT.

“With SoleCrypt, we combine Tunisian sites with premium international routing and our AI designs developed with Nvidia to rapidly deliver world-class compute capacity that is water-efficient and ready to scale,” said Amine Benchekroun, VP Secure Power, Schneider Electric.

Launched in 2022, Solecrypt focuses on developing data centers powered by solar assets. In addition to its T60 site, the company has also signed a deal with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development to develop run-of-the-river hydro plants in Kyrgyzstan.