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Europe To Import Sahara Solar Power Within 5 Years

Posted by kdawson on from the nothing-new-under-the-sun dept.

An anonymous reader writes "If just 1% of the Sahara Desert were covered in concentrating solar panels it would create enough energy to power the entire world. That's a powerful number, and the European Union has decided to jump on its proximity to the Sahara in order to reap some benefits from the untapped solar energy beaming down on Northern Africa. Yesterday, European Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger announced that Europe will start importing solar energy from the Sahara within the next five years. It is estimated that the initiative will cost €400 billion ($495 billion). It's part of an EU goal to derive 20% of its power from renewable sources by 2020. From the article: 'The EU is backing the construction of new electricity cables, known as inter-connectors, under the Mediterranean Sea to carry this renewable energy from North Africa to Europe. Some environmental groups have warned these cables could be used instead to import non-renewable electricity from coal- and gas-fired power stations in north Africa.' To this the energy minister replied, essentially, 'Good question, we'll get back to you on that.'"

9 of 450 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Yay... by tcolberg · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Well, we're talking about North Africa, not the Middle East. Sure, they're close to each other geographically, but the political realities are different. Further, the direct foreign investment of this sort of "infrastructure" could be beneficial. The influx of money should raise the standard of living those countries and it might encourage a different sort of economic growth than what we've seen in economies fueled by petrodollars.

  2. Always Negative by muphin · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Some environmental groups have warned these cables could be used instead to import non-renewable electricity from coal- and gas-fired power stations in north Africa.

    Why are environmentalists always negative focussing on the cables, we should be celebrating, this is a significant time for humanity, getting away from fossil fuels to solar and thermal power..

    i'm sure a few species will die because of this, i'm sure some habitats will get destroyed because of this, but imagine removing the dependence and waste of fossil fuels, this would benefit everyone.

    --
    It's not a typo if you understood the meaning!
  3. Re:Yay... by dontPanik · · Score: 4, Insightful

    How does Africa already have a choke-hold on energy production? Are you confusing Africa with the Middle East?

    --
    "Computers are useless. They can only give you answers." - Pablo Picasso
  4. Power so great it can only be used for good/evil by Mr+Z · · Score: 4, Insightful

    'The EU is backing the construction of new electricity cables, known as inter-connectors, under the Mediterranean Sea to carry this renewable energy from North Africa to Europe. Some environmental groups have warned these cables could be used instead to import non-renewable electricity from coal- and gas-fired power stations in north Africa.' To this the energy minister replied, essentially, 'Good question, we'll get back to you on that.'

    To quote Firesign Theatre, it's a "power so great, it can only be used for good or evil!"

    All seriousness aside, we need better energy conduits from these arid, sun-soaked regions. There is an abundance of solar energy waiting to be tapped in our deserts. Many, many, many human ills could be easily tackled by abundant energy. Sure, 1% of the Sahara can power our current usage. That fails to account for the fact that use increases as cost decreases. I'm sure if we managed to capture a much larger fraction of it, we'd put it to many unforseen uses, such as food synthesis, carbon sequestration, and so on.

    I think it's high time we started tapping seriously into the energy arriving at earth daily. There is no energy shortage. There is only an energy collection and redistribution shortage.

    --
    Program Intellivision!
  5. large amount energy storage, 70-85% efficient by YesIAmAScript · · Score: 4, Insightful

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pumped-storage_hydroelectricity

    And Europe has enough mountains to do this with.

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    http://lkml.org/lkml/2005/8/20/95
  6. Re:Rubbish by Chuq · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I don't think anyone literally expects a single 1% area to be covered by solar panels and for this to be the sole worldwide energy generator. It was more an indication of the amount of energy hitting the earth's surface and what little amount of this energy we use.

    --
    - Chuq
  7. Re:Environmentalists against it, what a surprise by Tim+C · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They are not nutcases. They are powerful pressure groups, able to influence the policies that rule your life.

    Unfortunately those two things are not mutually exclusive.

    --
    It's official. Most of you are morons.
  8. Re:Let me put this noose around my neck... by Nutria · · Score: 4, Insightful

    So this power will have to travel through such stable, well-governed countries as Algeria and Libya.

    Unless you put the power station in Morocco or Tunisia...

    --
    "I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
  9. Re:Yay... by bcmm · · Score: 5, Insightful

    ...for yet another way to be dependent on this already-unstable region of the world which already has a choke-hold on energy production.

    You aren't allowed to comment on geopolitics any more until you can tell the difference between different sorts of people that aren't white...

    --
    # cat /dev/mem | strings | grep -i llama
    Damn, my RAM is full of llamas.