What project being proposed by Desertec would be set in the largest desert in the world, the Sahara?
A consortium of 12 of Europe’s largest blue chip firms yesterday formally signed up to the world’s most ambitious solar energy project, agreeing to draw up detailed plans that could see energy from giant solar thermal power plants in North Africa meet up to 15 per cent of Europe’s energy needs. The group, which was organised by insurance giant Munich Re and includes Siemens, E.ON, RWE and Deutsche Bank, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) committing them to the development of a detailed investment plan exploring how the project could be financed. The agreement states that the companies believe that the so-called Desertec project represents “a scientifically substantiated and economically feasible way ” of achieving the strategic goal of secure and sustainable energy supplies. The group, which also includes Swiss company ABB, Algeria’s Cevital, Germany’s HSH Nordbank and M+W Zander, and a number of solar energy firms, has committed to formally establishing the Desertec Industrial
If just 0.3% of the Saharan Desert was used for a concentrating solar plant, it would produce enough power to provide all of Europe with clean renewable energy. That is why 20 blue chip German companies are gathering together next month to discuss plans and investments to create such a massive project. Both the meeting and project are being promoted by the Desertec Foundation, which is proposing to erect 100 GW of concentrating solar power plants throughout Northern Africa. The red squares in the above map represent the land area necessary to meet the energy demand of the world, the EU and MENA in 2005. The last square represents the land necessary for the proposed project to generate 100 GW of concentrating solar power. The project being proposed by Desertec would not all be situated in one location, but scattered throughout politically stable countries.
