This WhiteBook on the DESERTEC Concept provides information on the potential of the largest  but least tapped source of energy on earth, the solar radiation of deserts, and on how it could be  put into service for energy, water and climate security.

For the regions of Europe, the Middle East  and North Africa (EUMENA), the WhiteBook quantifies the potentials of all major renewable  energy sources, available for a mix optimized for a fast and low-cost transition to a climate compatible EUMENA-wide power supply system. It describes the present demands for electricity and  considers scenarios for their expected development until 2050, and how they could be served in  a save and sustainable way by interconnected renewable energy sources in EUMENA.

Decarbonisation of the power system for EUMENA is in reach. To this end full cooperation  of sunbelt and technology belt regions, their interconnection by a supergrid and an Apollo-Program like effort EUMENA-DESERTEC to tap the clean power from deserts are required.

The WhiteBook is based on the studies MED-CSP, TRANS-CSP and AQUA-CSP conducted by  EUMENA-wide study teams lead by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and summarizes the  work of the Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Cooperation (TREC). TREC was founded in  September 2003 by an initiative of The Club of Rome, the Jordanian National Energy Research  Center NERC, and the Hamburg Climate Protection Foundation HKF, with the aim of achieving  fast climate, energy and water security by a joint effort of the EU-MENA regions. TREC now is a  network of 60 experts in countries “around” the Mediterranean Sea and beyond: from Morocco,  Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Palestine, Jordan, Yemen, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, and  from Spain, France, The Netherlands, United Kingdom, Germany, Austria, Italy, Turkey, India and  Australia.