Europe Considering Solar Farms In Africa

A German company, Munich Re, is trying to get support behind a project entitled Desertec. The company would like to build solar farms in North Africa and use the energy in Europe. The farms themselves would be in countries such as Tunisia, Egypt etc.. Munich Re is trying to get large engineering and utility companies behind their plan.

Plans for Desertec include large solar farms using concentrating solar power. Such farms use mirrors to turn sun energy into steam that then produces electricity. The electricity would be transported through high-voltage direct current cables to Europe.

High-voltage direct current cables lose less energy over long distances and therefore would be the optimum choice. If the plan were to work, the company estimates that energy from North Africa could account for 15 percent of Europe’s energy requirements.

Some naysayers disagree with the plan due to the instability in this area of the world. In addition, many point to potential growth in these nations and therefore the nations wanting such areas for their own energy requirements. Others feel as though such projects would distract from projects at home. However, if the plan does go into action it would be the largest clean energy pursuit in the world.