Tamarasset, Sahara desert area in Algeria
Future energy
With just a small part of the abundant solar energy in Sahara desert, the power demand for Mediterranean countries and the whole Europe will be satisfied. This plan is totally feasible in the condition that solar power technology has been surging lately.
In the viewpoint of Mr. Gerhard Knies, a German physicist, the initiator of TREC project (Trans-Mediterranean Recycled Energy Cooperation), the desert covers about 36 million km2 out of 149 million km2 of open air land on the planet. Solar energy is available in Sahara desert with an average of 2.2TWh/year/1km2, approximately 80 million TWh in the entire desert. This kind of energy is so enormous that just 1% of the desert can produce power for all human beings.
In 2003, a conference of specialists was held and has persuasive German Government to sponsor for a more far-reaching research. This study is carried out by the engineer Franz Trieb under the leadership of Germany Universe and Space Center (DLR). The later study was publicized in 2005 and 2006, in which the feasibility of the project was affirmed.
High cost-effect
The most important thing of the project is the cost effect. According to Franz Trieb, at present, a solar power company produces power at the price from 0.14 to 0.18 euro/kWh. If a company with the capacity of 5,000 MW is constructed, the electricity price can reduce from 0.08 to 0.12 euro/kWh, and if a company with the capacity of 100 GW is constructed, the electricity price will fluctuate from 0.04 to 0.06 euro/kWh.
For the time being, the number of solar power companies in the world is so small and mainly in Spain, the United States and Germany. Moreover, they are usually built in agriculture zones or areas with so many trees that are not suitable with the environment. The 40 MW power company in Brandis (Germany), for example, covers 110 ha of agriculture land. In the desert, such space squandering does not exist.
With the above benefits, many companies in Egypt, Morocco and Algeria pay much attention to this project. Algeria, the nation that has great competence of solar energy has announced the development plan with the participation of NEAL.
On November 3, Algeria Energy Ministry put the very first stone to erect a combined center which composes of a gas-fired power company with the capacity of 150 MW and a solar power company with the capacity of 30 MW in Hassi R’mel (Sahara), which is expected to be completed in 2010. This is the first period to prepare for the capability to totally change into solar energy when production cost decreases.
According to the research, the energy will be produced by power plants. Mirrors will converge sunshine. The heat of solar energy can create steam to operate turbines. The excessive energy derived from power production can also be used to expel salt from sea water, which draws much attention from Mediterranean countries.