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Europe To Import Sahara Solar Power Within 5 Years
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.'"
That's good news. As long as we are harnessing renewable energy, it is welcome.
I would be more happy, if some way the dessert is made green part by part, while we are in there. Just a wishful thinking.
hilarious
That completely misrepresents the problem. If you cover 100% of the Sahara Desert with solar panels it still won't provide all of the power that the world needs, because some of that power is needed during night in that timezone.
Slashdot: where don knuth is an idiot because he cant grasp the awesome power of php
If you have power to spare, even moderately efficient energy storage solutions become viable.
A water->hydrogen->water cycle may be less than 50% efficient, but then just take 2%.
Same for solar thermal storage in molten salt solutions.
HI O WISE PRINCE. WHT TOOK U SO DAM LONG?
You could cover a similar area in Spain and avoid some of the transmission loss. Spain could certainly use the business.
...suddenly reflected a hell of a lot less heat back into the atmosphere, you're going to alter the climate drastically -- which may well reduce the amount of energy you have to tap, as it's likely to cause a regional cooling, which may result in greater cloud formation. I'd want to see the climatologists study the proposal. More to the point, is there an advantage in using solar panels over having the sunlight heat water (which is vastly more efficient) and then use the steam to generate electricity?
It's a small world and it smells funny; I'd buy another if it wasn't for the money; Take back what I paid (SoM)
I completely agree. Spain is investing quite a bit in Morocco lately, for it is very close geographically and the costs are quite low. Not as low as in China but again, it's easier to work with people who at least uses the same alphabet as you do. In Morocco they speak French but many people speak Spanish too. It seems that we will finally have the kind of mutually beneficial relationship with them as other countries have managed to have with their former colonies. We are only a century behind or so.
So this power will have to travel through such stable, well-governed countries as Algeria and Libya. I am certain that people like Gaddafi would never abuse the power this will give him...
It actually is a really good idea, from the point of view of power generation. But the political realities are a huge problem.
Enjoy life! This is not a dress rehearsal.
It sounds easy ... but does the average person (or even slashdot reader) have any idea how big the Sahara Desert really is? Answer: About as big as the whole of the USA.
Plus there's the teeny problem of building something stable on top of shifting sand dunes and transporting the stuff once you generate it (make liquid hydrogen and ship it?)
No sig today...
A single Volcano in Iceland shuts down air travel in Europe for days, so far....
Wait until what a common sandstorm will do. Europe blacked out for days until the window cleaners can get onsite...
And how did you conclude that the environmentalists are against it just because they asked how you ensure that the energy does actually come from renewable resources. Did you read a call to "ban the cables" anywhere? No.
The Energy Commissioner said that it was a good question, and he is right. You don't just lay down a cable and just hope that the power sent through it is renewable. You need to put procedures in place to guarantee it, otherwise you have just wasted your money.
Africa is a continent and the Middle East isn't part of it.
No shit.
moslim only region you speak of
What magic is it that morphed mostly-Muslim into moslim only?
Or are you just stupid?
but calling Africa mostly muslim is pretty far fetched.
Is it?
According to Wikipedia, North Africa is 89% Muslim, West Africa is 55% Muslim and East Africa is almost 30% Muslim.
Ok, that's "only" 47% Muslim, which isn't a majority. But it's close, and no one in their right mind could argue that the continent is anything but politically unstable.
"I don't know, therefore Aliens" Wafflebox1
Most Europeans learn multiple languages over their native language and English.
I never meant to imply that solar was free. But, once solar capacity is built out and the transmission lines are in place, solar has quite a lot of potential to be cheaper than fossil fuels, particularly if fossil fuels are made artificially more expensive through carbon taxes. I don't have to mine or drill for solar power. I don't have ships, train cars and semis carting solar power all over the country. So, as solar capacity comes online, the overall cost of energy may drop, not because solar doesn't cost anything, but that it costs less than the alternatives.
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