Using Deserts To Power The World

The DESERTEC Concept aims to confront global challenges such as climate change, population growth beyond earth’s capacity, and an increase in demand for energy and water. Describing the concept in a Red Paper, the DESERTEC Foundation describes how the sun offers the best solution because within six hours, the world‘s deserts receive more energy than all the people in the world consume in a year. One questions arises from this statement: “how can this radiant energy be economically transformed into useful energy and transported to consumers?“

The DESERTEC Concept provides an answer that will allow most people in the world access solar and wind power from the energy-rich desert areas, a useful addition to the renewable energy resources of each region.

They explain:

By using High-Voltage Direct Current transmission lines (HVDC), it is possible to transfer power with losses of no more than 3 percent per 1,000 kms. Given the relatively high intensity of sunlight in desert regions and the relatively small variations between sum- mer and winter, the benefits of generating electricity in desert regions will more than outweigh the cost of long-distance transmission. More than 90% of the people in the world live within 3000 km of a desert and may be supplied with solar electricity from there.

This solution efficiently tackles the global challenges of the upcoming decades: shortage of energy, water and food as well as excessive emissions of CO2. At the same time, the concept offers new options for prosperity and development of regions that have been hardly developed— as well as promising new opportunities for the economically leading countries.

The DESERTEC Foundation believes the EUMENA region (Europe, the Middle East, North Africa) can profit from the implementation of the Concept up to the year 2050. The increasing energy demands of the region would come from solar power plants in deserts, supplemented by wind and hydro power, producing enough energy for the desalination of sea water and could generate export earnings for the foreseeable future by supplying power to Europe.

[via Myweku and DESERTEC Foundation]