Solar News

Tuesday 03 November 2009

The electricity generated will be transferred to Europe by way of a network of high-voltage cables (Solar Millenium AG)

Around 15% of Europe's energy needs in 2050 could be provided by a huge solar project in the Sahara desert, after a consortium of European companies signed up to the $400 billion (£240 billion) venture yesterday (November 2).

The Desertec Industrial Initiative (DII) includes major renewables companies such as E.ON, Siemens, RWE and ABB as well as other solar companies in a 12 company consortium, which has committed to building massive solar energy fields across North Africa's Sahara desert. DII said it hopes to be generating electricity by 2015.

The project will utilise concentrated solar power technology (CPS), which uses parabolic mirrors to focus the Sun's rays on containers of water, vapourising it into steam to turn turbines. The electricity will then be transferred to Europe by way of a network of high-voltage cables.

Part of the sun's heat will also be collected in heat storage tanks during the day and then run through steam circuits at night or specifically during peak hours, depending on the demand, meaning the plant can operated almost 24 hours a day.

Power generated is set to be used by the local populations in the region, and DII said that a number of North African countries have approached it about joining the project.

Pivotal

The DESERTEC concept was first announced in 2007, and small pilot schemes were built, but now the structure is in place for what Paul van Son, chief executive of DII, called a "pivotal" project.

He said: "We recognize and strongly support the DESERTEC vision as a pivotal part of the transition to a sustainable energy supply in the Middle East and North Africa and Europe. Now the time has come to turn this vision into reality. That implies intensive cooperation with many parties and cultures to create a sound basis for feasible investments into renewable energy technologies and interconnected grids."

Torsten Jeworrek, member of the board of the DII founding members said the project would go a long way to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and that signing the deal before the Climate Change summit in Copenhagen sent out a positive message to the private sector.

"The question is not whether we should do something, but how we can reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the atmosphere and how this goal can be achieved in an intelligent manner, which results in a win-win situation for both the environment and the economy. With regard to the important UN climate summit in Copenhagen, this private sector initiative demonstrates how business potentials can be aligned with sustainability goals," he said.