DESERTEC - A New Program To Harness Solar Energy

[zephramc]

http://www.desertec.org/en/concept/summary/

I recently discovered this project planned to deploy in the deserts of North Africa. It employs seemingly simple technologies.

If my understanding is correct, it will use mirrors to concentrate sunlight which will generate steam to drive turbines and electrical generators. The electricity is then sent to various parts of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa by cable.

This method, unlike photovoltaics, can also capture the heat and store it in salts or concrete which can also generate electricity during periods without sunlight. Waste heat can also be used to desalinate water or drive cooling systems.

Pretty cool stuff...

P.S. Mods, the project appears to be a year old or more. While I didn't find any such discussions, if this has been posted before, please close thread.

 

[All Seeing Eye]

It would have to be damn big to power EU, Mid East and North Africa.

 

[T'Girl]

North Africa does have a lot of desert, can they run a power cable under the med into europe?

 

[zephramc]

Good question. I guess somebody thinks so. Then again this might be another "pie in the sky" idea.

 

[Bluesteel]

North Africa does have a lot of desert, can they run a power cable under the med into europe?

They probably can. They are planning on using these long distance cables that lose little power over a distance.


However what gets me on this is the upfront cost. It's way to much. If it was $50 it might have been acceptable but I don't see how they expect governments and companies to fork over that kind of cash. That's like 44% of Africas GDP.

 

[CuttingEdge100]

Will this power be taxed by the multi-national entities that operate this power collection and generation system? Or just by each individual countries?

 

[John Picard]

Good question. I guess somebody thinks so. Then again this might be another "pie in the sky" idea.

Like every other "energy cure" that's out there. The do-gooders will shut it down due to environmental concerns like they've done in the US desert area (Arizona) or windfarms (east coast).

 

[Iasius]

North Africa does have a lot of desert, can they run a power cable under the med into europe?

It'll have to be high voltage DC not AC (due to higher capacitance and the need for phase synchronization for the latter), but there's nothing in principle why this couldn't be done.
Undersea power cables aren't that rare, there's a 700 MW HVDC line between Norway and the Netherlands, a 600 MW line between Germany and Sweden, etc.
The necessary technology for this project exists. The question is one of cost/willingness to invest and political hurdles.

 

[Bill Morris]

I started a thread here about this a year or so ago. These arrays of trough mirrors are being built in Algeria, California, Nevada, Spain, and other places. The leading manufacturer of parts for these plants so for is located in Israel, and it's the Germans that have been talking seriously about running a cable across the Mediterranean. But so far Algeria is using all of its output domestically.

There's a rush on to do this in the U.S., but obviously the Sahara is ideal with regard to sunlight, humidity, and land prices. Security is another matter, though. I suppose people in Mexico are looking at this, as well.

One issue in the U.S. now is water to wash the mirrors, and there is a rush on to develop systems that don't require water. Neighboring communities in some areas oppose these plants, even though they create jobs locally, because they are afraid of being deprived of water. These things do continue to produce electricity without periodic washing, but there is a substantial increase in output after cleaning. It's an economic thing--more electricity to sell.

But basically, an area in the Sahara the size of Ireland could produce enough electricity for all of Europe.

It is also possible to produce electricity 24 hours a day, by storing the heat in molten salt and keeping the turbines constantly running, but that isn't being done yet, except in some test facilities. Normally the heat is carried from the mirrors to the boilers in oil, through pipes. Adding a salt vat to that circuit keeps the salt hot enough overnight to run the boilers continuously.