Desertec European Solar Energy Project Progresses

Progress has been made on the Desertec solar thermal project, with its developers announcing at the start of November 2011 that the construction side of it would commence in early 2012.

The Desertec project involves supplying Europe with clean, solar energy, courtesy of the Sahara Desert. Huge banks of mirrors will reflect solar rays into water, producing steam that, in turn, powers turbines which then generate electricity. This electricity will be fed into a grid with the capacity to meet up to 20 per cent of all Europe's energy needs.

It's a hugely ambitious venture but it's one that, powered by the Desertec Industrial Initiative (DII), is coming closer to reality. The Desertec Industrial Initiative was established in 2009 by a group of 20 firms, with Germany's Munich Re, E.on, Siemens and Deutsche Bank leading the way.

Desertec Solar Project

The strength of the sun in desert regions, like the Sahara, is considerably more powerful than elsewhere. It's for that reason that the photovoltaic panels involved in Desertec will, automatically, be up to three times more efficient here than elsewhere.

Details of the Desert solar power project were supplied by Paul Von Son, DII's CEO, at an event held in Cairo this week. Here, he described how the project would get underway with the build of a solar farm in Morocco early next year, employing parabolic mirrors linked to a 500MW power plant.

This farm, alone, will cost $2.8bn to construct and cover an area of 2.5 square miles and, potentially, it will become operational in around 2016.

Desert Solar Power for Europe

Elsewhere, a solar farm could also go up in Tunisia - a country selected because it acts as a kind of bridge between Europe and Africa. Ultimately, it's planned for solar arrays to cover over 30,000 square miles of the Sahara and many parts of the EU have, so far, been responsive to the idea of desert solar power for Europe.

Germany itself is moving away from nuclear power - so long the backbone of its energy needs: a decision part-prompted by the Japanese nuclear leak earlier this year.

"Desertec opened up an opportunity for us", Federal Ministry for Economics and Technology representative Jochen Homann explained, at the Egyptian press call, adding: "We want to enter the age of renewables with sustainable sources of electricity supplying 80 per cent of our power generation by 2050".

"Germany's government will continue to support Desertec. It's an inspiring vision which is good for foreign, climate and economic policies.

Image used solely for illustrative purposes. Copyright Isofoton.es - courtesy Wikimedia Commons

See also:

Companies supplying Solar Power