The document discusses the Desertec project, which aims to provide renewable energy from deserts in North Africa and the Middle East to both the producer countries and Europe. The project involves building concentrating solar power plants and high voltage direct current transmission lines. A consortium called the Desertec Industrial Initiative was formed in 2009 to develop a business plan and begin infrastructure development. It also established a university network to promote research and training related to Desertec. The goal is for desert solar power to eventually meet 15% of the EU's electricity needs while also powering some producer countries.

1. Mariya Arnaudova Report
Jacobs University Bremen
Fall 2010

2. Concept
Concept History Developers Initiatives Technology
CLEAN POWER from DESERTS for a WORLD of 10 Billion People
Make use of solar and wind energy
(North Africa and Middle East)
DESERTEC PROJECT
Consortium DII
Club of Rome + Trans-Mediterranean
(European companies + DESERTEC
Renewable Energy Cooperation
foundation)
GUIDANCE IMPLEMENTATION

3. Concept History
History Developers Initiatives Technology
German Aerospace Centre (DLR) scientific work: Concept development =
1. Analyze availability of resources and demand for Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Cooperation
energy in the Mediterranean area
2. Assess interconnection between Europe and +
Middle East and North Africa Club of Rome
3. Analyze water demand and possibility to generate +
fresh water together with electricity National Energy Research Center Jordan
Research for Initiative 2003
Focusing on: Launching the DESERTEC Industrial Initiative DII
1. Developing demonstration projects GmbH in Munich
2. Ensuring renewable energy laws = 12 European companies
2010 2009

4. Concept History
History Developers Initiatives Technology
DESERTEC Industrial Initiative DII
GOALS 2009
1. Draft concrete business plan and associate financing concepts
2. Initiation of industrial preparation for infrastructure building
3. Aim at producing sufficient power to meet 15% of EU electricity
requirements and substantial portion of the power needs of the producer
countries

5. Concept History Developers
Developers Initiatives Technology
DESERTEC Industrial Initiative DII
2010
DII Members Associated Partners
“The aim of our concept is to strike
the right balance between long-term
security of supply, economic
viability and climate protection. We,
our shareholders and Associated
Partners are working together to
turn the Desertec plans into reality.”
At the end of 2012, the DII will create
an implementation scenario for the
period up to 2050.

6. Concept History Developers Initiatives
Initiatives Technology
DESERTEC University Network (DUN)
2010
Objectives Founding Universities
1. Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
1. A network of public and private scientific, 2. German University in Cairo, New Cairo City, Egypt
technological and R&D and academic 3. Alexandria University, Alexandria, Egypt
4. UDES (Unité de Développement des Equipements Solaires),
educational institutions Algiers, Algeria
5. USTO (Université des Sciences et de la Technologie d’Oran),
Oran, Algeria
2. Promoting international cooperation and 6. DESERTEC Foundation, Hamburg, Germany
7. University of Science and Technology, Irbid, Jordan
harmonization of R&D and training 8. University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan
programs among the DUN members. 9. Al-Fateh University, Tripoli, Libya
10. Center for Solar Energy Research and Studies (CSERS), Tripoli
11. National Authority for Scientific Research, Tripoli, Libya
3. R&D projects for the DESERTEC and other 12. Sebha University, Sebha, Libya
13. CNRST (Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique et
interested parties Technique), Rabat, Morocco
14. Ecole Nationale de l’Industrie Minérale, Agdal, Rabat,
Morocco
4. Designing and implementing academic 15. Ecole Nationale Supérieure d’Electricité et de Mécanique
(ENSEM-UH2C), Casablanca, Morocco
curricula for the training and development 20. Jacobs University, Bremen,
16. Centre de Recherches et des Technologies de l’Energie,
Borj- Cedria, Tunisia
of human resources (especially in North Germany
17. Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Tunis, Université Tunis-El-
Manar, Tunisia
Africa) 21. The German-French University,
18. Ecole Nationale d’Ingénieurs de Monastir, Université de
Monastir, Tunisia
Saarbrücken, Germany
19. Université de Gafsa, Gafsa, Tunisia

7. Concept History Developers Initiatives Technology
Technology
1. Concentrating solar thermal power (CSP) plants
How: solar energy is concentrated by mirrors to heat water. Steam is used for driving turbines for
power generation.
+ supply energy on demand as large quantities of thermal energy can be stored easily and
with low losses.
+ produce large quantities of power
+ compensate fluctuations of wind and photovoltaic energy
+ sea water cools steam  drinking water produced

8. Concept History Developers Initiatives Technology
Technology
2. High-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission
How: using HVDC transmission lines.
+ transport clean power from the deserts over long distances to the world's centers
of consumption
+ transmission losses are fairly low: 3% per 1,000 km of line
+ two- or threefold insolation in North Africa sufficiently makes up for the
transportation costs to Europe
+ can be installed underground

9. Concept History Developers Initiatives Technology
Technology
Desert Regions with Solar Energy Potentials

10. Concept History Developers Initiatives Technology
Technology

11. Concept History Developers Initiatives Technology
For further interesting information:
1. DESERTEC Concept Overview:
1. http://www.desertec.org/fileadmin/downloads/desertec-foundation_redpaper_3rd-
edition_english.pdf
2. DII website:
3. http://www.dii-eumena.com/