Saharan Solar Power to Provide Energy for Europe

Solar Energy from the Sahara Desert

Cool news from one of the planet’s hot spots today.  A dozen companies joined the Desertec Industrial Initiative which aims to generate solar energy from the Sahara Desert to provide 15% of European energy needs by 2050.

Big companies put up some big bucks (the equivalent of $400 billion USD) for the venture.  The goal is for the project to start providing solar electricity to Europe by 2015.

What does the vision entail?

Utility scale solar plants and transmission grids will be constructed in North Africa and the Middle East.  In the Sahara Desert, concentrated solar power technology (as is currently in place in Spain and planned for Southern California) will be employed.  Rows and rows of parabolic mirrors will line the desert, and will focus solar rays onto water tanks.  The water is super-heated and the steam then turns turbines to generate electricity.

Also known as mirror technology, CSP is considerably increasing the efficiency rate of solar power, which is then fed into the grid and is a clean alternative to coal-based electricity.

Parabolic mirrors used in Concentrated Solar Power generation

From the Sahara, the electricity will need to be transported along many miles to Europe, part of which will be under the Mediterranean. High-tech cables will be installed on the grid to prevent conductive loss of power.  The investment of the 12 companies into the consortium (based in Munich) will provide much needed funding for the project.

The Desertec Industrial Initiative is considered by some to be a critical turning point in the push for renewable energy deployment in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.  Solar energy is not new to a number of European countries, but the scale of the project exceeds that of the number of smaller solar operations.

Countries in North Africa will also benefit from solar energy generated in the Sahara Desert.  A portion of the power generated will be sold to African consumers, as well.

The twelve companies forming the consortium are: ABB, Abengoa Solar, Cevital, Desertec Foundation, E.ON, HSH Nordbank, MAN Solar Millennium, Munich Re, M+W Zander, RWE, Schott Solar, and Siemens.

Tags: concentrated solar power technology, desertec industrial initiative, energy for Europe, sahara desert, saharan solar power, solar project saraha