Solar Energy from Africa to power the world

[Iamnoone]

The left square, labelled "world," is around the size of Austria. If that area were covered in solar thermal power plants, it could produce enough electricity to meet world demand. The area in the center would be required to meet European demand. The one on the right corresponds to Germany's energy demand.

When the Desertec Industrial Initiative (Dii) was founded three years ago, the €400 billion ($560 billion) project was called the most ambitious solar energy venture ever. Three years later, there is very little to show for the effort.

Backed by numerous large companies and accompanied by glowing press clippings, the Desertec Industrial Initiative has served as little more than greenwashing during the last three years. Despite the backing of major European companies, such as energy giant RWE and Deutsche Bank, the project has failed to break ground on a single power plant. Furthermore, two of the biggest supporters at the founding of the initiative, Siemens and Bosch, recently pulled out of the Desertec Industrial Initiative.

http://www.spiegel.de/international...rtec-co-founder-friedrich-fuehr-a-867088.html

 

[I Lord Justice]

link?

 

[Orbital-Fetus]

solar power would provide more energy than we could ever actually use.
problem is that no country can put troops on the sun to control it so it will never happen.

 

[Bud Bundy]

solar power would provide more energy than we could ever actually use.
problem is that no country can put troops on the sun to control it so it will never happen.

we just need to put them on mercury.

 

[Iamnoone]

link?

Interview with Desertec Co-Founder Friedrich Führ - SPIEGEL ONLINE

 

[newworldafro]

I've said this several times..............actually did a report on this for my "Senior project" in undergrad.........mainly in relation to Africa by itself, but also mentioned Europe with respect to the company and how they wanted to build an underground/underwater transmission line beneath the Straits of Gibraltar into Spain/rest of Europe..........it would be amazing........ I hear the problem now is/are the rare earth minerals.......apparently there is not enough of it...........apparently.......... so thats where things like solar paint, nano-solar cells, etc come into play ....... apparently..........

It seems so simple............................but maybe the is in the details...........................................................................................................

http://inhabitat.com/worlds-largest...rt/#13594299857771&31414::resize_frame|61-151

World's Largest Solar Project Planned for Saharan Desertby Bridgette Meinhold, 06/22/09


Read more: World’s Largest Solar Project Planned for Saharan Desert | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building

If just 0.3% of the Saharan Desert was used for a concentrating solar plant, it would produce enough power to provide all of Europe with clean renewable energy. That is why 20 blue chip German companies are gathering together next month to discuss plans and investments to create such a massive project. Both the meeting and project are being promoted by the Desertec Foundation, which is proposing to erect 100 GW of concentrating solar power plants throughout Northern Africa.

The red squares in the above map represent the land area necessary to meet the energy demand of the world, the EU and MENA in 2005. The last square represents the land necessary for the proposed project to generate 100 GW of concentrating solar power. The project being proposed by Desertec would not all be situated in one location, but scattered throughout politically stable countries. Taken as a whole, the project qualifies as the world’s largest solar installation – 80 times larger than the PG&E and BrightSource project planned for the Mojave Desert. The power generated would be transported over high-voltage DC lines across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe, where it would supply 15% of the energy demand. The project is still 10-15 years from going online, but that’s why major players are getting started now.

Companies like Siemens, Deutsche Bank, energy companies RWE and E.on, as well as the German insurer Munich Re are all interested in getting involved despite the financial crisis. All of the companies claim that this is how they are fighting back against climate change, and that in order to avoid an energy crisis in 2050 they have to start building now. To build the 100 GWs worth of solar power a total of €400bn investment is needed.

Even more frightening than the energy crisis is the water scarcity that is set to occur even sooner. Taking this into account, the project hopes to combine desalination plants and agriculture along with the solar plants to provide fresh drinking water and grow crops in arid desert region. Concentrated solar power will provide energy and waste heat to create freshwater from seawater. Some of that water would then be used to irrigate nearby crops, while the rest would supply fresh drinking water to local populations. This concept is very similar to the Sahara Forest Project, which we explored last year.

Herman Scheer, President of the European Association for Renewable Energy is disappointed that these companies are considering such large scale projects and not distributed generation at the demand centers, and says that the Desertec project is “highly problematic” due to sand storms, dealing with foreign countries, meeting deadlines and so on. Others contend that large scale projects such as this are the fastest way to meet our energy demands and are a far better option than continuing buring fossil fuels. We’ll certainly be keeping tabs on this exciting project to see how it progresses.

 

[Marvel]

I'm sure that Africans wouldn't make money supplying the world with power. That is the problem.

 

[newworldafro]

I'm sure that Africans wouldn't make money supplying the world with power. That is the problem.

elaborate please .....

 

[Orbital-Fetus]

I've said this several times..............actually did a report on this for my "Senior project" in undergrad.........mainly in relation to Africa by itself, but also mentioned Europe with respect to the company and how they wanted to build an underground/underwater transmission line beneath the Straits of Gibraltar into Spain/rest of Europe..........it would be amazing........ I hear the problem now is/are the rare earth minerals.......apparently there is not enough of it...........apparently.......... so thats where things like solar paint, nano-solar cells, etc come into play ....... apparently..........

It seems so simple............................but maybe the is in the details..........................................................................................................

rare earth metals are...rare...very rare.
and they are getting used for computer, laptop, cell phone, tablets, etc...

these devices are not being recycled.
they are getting thrown in the bushes.

these devices have gold, nickle, silver, lithium...people die digging this stuff out of the ground so we can play Angry Birds while we wait for a bus. then when the next best thing comes along it finds it's way into the trash.

 

[newworldafro]

rare earth metals are...rare...very rare.
and they are getting used for computer, laptop, cell phone, tablets, etc...

these devices are not being recycled.
they are getting thrown in the bushes.

these devices have gold, nickle, silver, lithium...people die digging this stuff out of the ground so we can play Angry Birds while we wait for a bus. then when the next best thing comes along it finds it's way into the trash.

.............................yeah......