It doesn’t take a solar power expert to know that parts of North Africa, like Algeria, get a lot of sunshine. Nor does it take an energy analyst to know that, given its relatively large, dense population, the Europe Union needs a lot of electricity. So, why not make solar power in Africa and sell it in Europe?

That’s the idea behind Desertec, an international consortium that pulls together banks, engineering firms, solar energy companies and governments. And, if recent comments by European Energy Commissioner Guenther Oettinger are any indication, the first pieces of the solar project may be up and running as soon as 2015. Via Reuters,

“I think some models starting in the next 5 years will bring some hundreds of megawatts to the European market,” Oettinger told Reuters after a meeting with energy ministers from Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia.

He said those initial volumes would come from small pilot projects, but the amount of electricity would go up into the thousands of megawatts as projects including the 400 billion euro Desertec solar scheme come on stream.

“Desertec as a whole is a vision for the next 20 to 40 years with investment of hundreds of billions of euros,” said Oettinger. “To integrate a bigger percentage of renewables, solar and wind, needs time.”
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.

In theory, the project is a win-win — or, as Oettinger put it, “a two-way partnership.” By sourcing clean power, Europe can make progress toward its carbon emissions-reduction targets. The host countries of North Africa, meanwhile, can generate revenue while gaining ancillary benefits associated with importing renewable energy technologies and know-how.

Source: Wiki Commons

In practice, however, Desertec faces a number of challenges. The project will be expensive and take years to realize. Some environmentalists worry that the yet-to-be-built undersea transmission lines could be used to import non-renewable electricity — from, say, coal-fired power plants. And there has been criticism that Desertec is just yet another example of the developed world exploiting the resources of developing world.

The project, in other words, has a long way to go. Let’s hope that progress continues.