Lisa Reinisch

Solar power from deserts – could it end our fossil fuel dependency?

Deserts could hold the key to the world’s energy problems. Vast quantities of clean, affordable energy could be generated by solar power plants in desert regions.

Less than 0.3 per cent of the desert areas of Northern Africa and the Middle East could produce enough electricity to meet present-day demands of these regions and Europe, says Dr Gerry Wolff of the DESERTEC Foundation. Less than 1 per cent of the area of the world’s deserts could provide as much electricity as the world now uses.

“If the politicians create the right environment for the industry, they can do things very fast. If they really put their back into it, we could get the whole thing built in ten years,” says Dr Wolff.

Germany, the Netherlands, Tunisia and Jordan have endorsed the development plans put forward by DESERTEC, an international research and campaigning network. DESERTEC’s proposal recommends the construction of an intercontinental supergrid capable of transmitting solar electricity across vast distances. 90% of the world’s population lives within 2700 km of a desert and could be supplied with solar electricity from there. The initiative could also propel development in some of the world’s poorest regions.

Tried and tested

Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) is a power generation method that uses mirrors to concentrate sun light and produce heat, which in turn creates steam to drive turbines and generators. This is quite different to the better-known solar panels that spring to mind in connection with solar power. The sun’s rays are not absorbed, they are reflected and bundled as if through a lens, in order to generate heat and, eventually, steam.
CSP is not a new technology. In fact, it has been tried and tested for more than twenty years in California. Its potential to generate clean, secure and affordable energy from such plants in deserts has been proven by scientists.

To ensure a steady electricity supply, one of the main problems of most renewable energy technologies, the turbines can also be driven by fossil fuels – a kind of back-up system for cloudy days or nighttimes.
Politics, not technology, appears to be the major hurdle. Combining the political and economic interests of the EU, Northern Africa and the Middle East would be no mean feat.

Fair pricing, the environment and other concerns

Concerns have been raised about the effect on local wildlife and communities if large tracts of deserts were to be covered with mirrors. Rare desert species and nomadic tribes like the Berber could lose ground to energy companies. From the European perspective it could be argued that the DESERTEC plan does not address Europe’s dependency on energy imports from abroad. Just as it now relies on oil imports, it would rely on electricity imports from Northern Africa and the Middle East.

The host countries, especially those in Northern Africa, are right to ask whether an intercontinental supergrid could turn into another means of European exploitation. Other objections include security, fair pricing and maintenance costs.

Dr Wolff refutes these claims and points out that the proposal incorporates recommendations on how to ensure fair deals for all involved. These include the creation of a single market, development benefits for local communities and strict environmental impact assessments.

Pavel Seifter, visiting fellow at the Centre for the Study of Global Governance at the London School of Economics, is confident in the concept of a supergrid and the implementation solutions DESERTEC has put forward.

Horticulture in the desert

For example, the power plants themselves could contribute to local development. Jobs and water are often in short supply in desert regions. CSP plants could employ and train local people. Waste heat from power generation could also be used to desalinate sea water at practically no extra cost. The shade created by the mirrors could render the unproductive desert ground fertile - an opportunity for horticultural projects that could benefit local communities.
New CSP plants are currently being built in Spain, Italy, Morocco, Algeria and Egypt, indicating that the world’s sunniest regions are beginning to catch on to this concept.