Concept

Status Quo

 

According to general opinion, by the middle of the 21st century, humanity will have used up a majority of the fossil fuel resources available on Earth (with the exception of coal) to meet the demands of power plants and vehicles. There is not a sign of a worldwide reduction in fossil fuel demands, although such a reduction is essential to contain the threat of Global Warming. Even if there were to be a small reduction in fossil fuel consumption, it would merely postpone the day when fossil fuels are depleted.

 

A shift to renewable forms of energy can be a long-term solution to looming problems of energy shortages and environmental damages. However, the situation in Europe is complex. The European continent provides great potential for wind, hydro, geothermal, and solar power. Be that as it may, there is a limit to the utilization of these sources due to Europe's high population density.

 

When the renewable sources of Europe and The Middle East/North-Africa are combined, the EU-MENA region would be in a much improved position to shift to clean and secure energy rapidly and economically.

 

EUMENA

Make it happen

 

Here are some of the things that need to be done to enable the DESERTEC vision to become a reality. 

 

The single market for electricity which is being created in Europe needs to be extended to the whole of EUMENA. This will facilitate direct commercial links between customers and suppliers throughout the region.

 

As volumes of electricity increase, the existing transmission grid will need to be upgraded by removing bottlenecks, by converting HVAC transmission lines to HVDC, by creating new HVDC lines, and by the installation of smart electronics.

 

The TRANS-CSP report from the DLR estimates that a 100 GW EUMENA-wide supergrid would cost 45 billion Euros. Bearing in mind that this cost would be shared amongst 30 or more countries and spread over about 10 years, this equates to an average annual expenditure by each country of only 150 million Euros.

 

At present, the commercial "playing field" is tilted against renewable sources of power like CSP and wind power. This is because established sources of energy are still receiving overt and hidden subsidies and because the world's atmosphere is still being used as a free dumping ground for CO2. Until these biases are removed, renewables will need support via mechanisms such as feed-in tariffs that have proved to be very successful in countries like Germany and Spain.

 

Other kinds of support that may prove useful include moneys arising from the sale of emissions certificates in the European emissions trading system or Kyoto2, returns from the yet-to-be-created climate protection investment programs, or money assigned for investment in politically unstable regions. With these kinds of support, it may be possible to reach the EU "20-20-20" targets ahead of schedule.

 

  • Full utilization of the new agreements that result from the establishment of the Union for the Mediterranean by the EU and 10 countries on the southern and eastern boarders of the Mediterranean. In particular
  • the Mediterranean Solar Plan should be drafted and realized with urgency as a part of an emergency programme to fight climate change.
  • Opening of negotiations immediately to develop partnerships between the EU and MENA countries for the implementation of the DESERTEC Concept.
  • Throughout EUMENA, campaigning to raise awareness of the DESERTEC Concept and how it may be realised.
  • Creation of a freely accessible „Solar Radiation Atlas” for desert areas which provides high spatial and temporal resolution of levels of solar radiation. The fact that such data is not already available illustrates the low priority which has, so far, been given to "clean power from deserts".
  • Establishment of feasibility studies to clarify the current political, organisational, financial, technical and ecological questions with respect to the implementation of the DESERTEC Concept.
  • Initiation of a 1-GW-Kick-off-Programmes to demonstrate feasibility of CSP projects in interested MENA countries. For humanitarian reasons, a solar power plant and drinking water plant on Egyptian territory for the benefit of the Gaza Strip would be useful as a pilot project. Benefits for people in Gaza may help to resolve tensions in the region.
  • A progamme to develop industrial capacity for the construction of solar thermal power plants. In particular, it would be useful if host countries could develop capabilities for the manufacture, installation and maintenance of solar collectors.
  • Establishment of binding contracts with appropriate conditions and standards for the export of clean electricity from the MENA region into Europe.
  • A “decommissioning grant” for depreciated inefficient coal power plants in EU Mediterranean countries if its capacities are replaced through the import of wind and solar energy from the MENA region.