Spanish Solar Company Abengoa to Supply Desertec
Abengoa Solar has signed an agreement to join as a founding member of the inspirational Desertec idea to supply Europe and Africa electricity from a chain of huge solar thermal projects in the Sahara.
The ambitious plan requires building direct current transmission to connect the continents, but once in place – would make it possible to generate a very large amount of Europe’s electricity with renewable energy.
And supply all African electricity needs with close to 100% solar power.
The plan has some critics. One; German Member of Parliament Hermann Scheer is worried about possible cost overruns. He calls Desertec a desert mirage; one that is politically and economically untested.
But Siemens CEO Peter Loescher says the project is no more far-fetched than the trans-Atlantic telegraphic cable laid by Siemens back in 1876.
The technology for solar thermal plants is well established, with plants already feeding power into the grid in California and Spain.
Solar thermal power plants use the familiar concept of boiling water to produce steam to drive turbines that generate electricity. The difference is just what boils the water. Instead of burning up fossil fuels, solar thermal systems just use hundreds of mirrors for concentrating sunlight on one spot.
One big advantage of solar thermal plants is that heat can be stored at night or when the sun is not shining to continue producing power 24/7, making solar baseload power.
Abengoa is a pioneer in the construction of solar power plants in Northern Africa and the Middle East with two Integrated Solar Combined Cycle plants in Morocco and Algeria.
An Abengoa solar thermal plant in Spain as seen Flikr user Matteo Bonotto
Via Solar Daily
You Might Also Like
DESERTEC $555 Billion Renewable Energy Project Moving Forward
Innovative Company to Fund Recycling Program & Use the Recycled Materials for Food Packaging
How Dirty Industries in EU Nations Created China’s 21st Century Clean Energy Boom
European Countries Moving Forward on Climate Change Legislation
July 22nd, 2009 at 7:00 pm
I don’t get the comparison to the Trans-Atlantic cable. Its only about 15 km from Spain to Morocco. The Sahara desert is just a bit farther on, seems like a perfectly feasible plan to me, assuming political stability in the region.
November 3rd, 2009 at 2:21 am
[...] Related Articles: 1) Half a Trillion Dollars to Build Huge Desertec Plan? 2) Desertec Advances: Massive Solar Power Project No Longer a Mirage? 3) $560 BILLION Solar Project — Biggest Ever 4) Spanish Solar Company Abengoa to Supply Desertec [...]