News Article
Moroccan MOU signed for EU solar project
Government representatives from Morocco, France, Italy, Malta and Luxembourg came to Berlin to sign a memorandum of understanding with Germany for a first Desertec cooperation project between EU member states and Morocco. Yet the agreement has had to be postponed due to the absence of Spain, a crucial participant.
The business case for a Desertec Reference Project, prepared by Dii and the Moroccan Solar Agency Masen, has been extensively discussed for the past two years with Spanish companies, the TSO Red Electrica and the European Commission, and declared feasible. Investors have been found, initial subsidies are available, and industry wants to get involved.
"I'm confident that the other partners in this negotiation, from Morocco and the EU states, will be able to convince Spain soon as Spain could profit a lot," emphasized Dii CEO Paul van Son.
Dii continues the work in progress on projects as planned. These include a first project in Morocco started by RWE, which comprises 100 megawatts photovoltaic and wind power and 150 megawatts of concentrated solar power (CSP). Work on further projects in Algeria and Tunisia is now also being stepped up. The renewable energy potential in these countries is enormous. Dii plans to realize projects of around two gigawatts. Italy supports this plan as a strategic partner. Plans for a grid connection to the Italian electricity grid are currently being discussed in detail. This development would open up new perspectives for Italian industry.
"It's not without reason that we have chosen Berlin as the venue for our conference," says Paul van Son. Almost one year ago, a broad majority in the German Bundestag passed the package of legislation that initiated the start of the German energy transition. In particular, the rapid development of electricity grids and an affordable expansion of renewable energies are two areas of action that are currently being vigorously debated in German politics.
"An isolated energy transition just in Germany will not function," says Managing Director of Dii, Aglaia Wieland. Dii already showed this summer with its study "Desert Power 2050" that the rapid and large-scale expansion of renewable energies functions best when a power system is developed that is as large as possible. "We call that the giant energy transition," says Wieland, "since in the end there is a similar discussion at the international level. Regardless whether wind energy from Schleswig Holstein is transported via electricity highways to Bavaria or whether North Africa transports solar and wind energy to Central Europe using the same grid connection, the interests of all stakeholders must be taken into account." "Desert Power 2050" shows that if the European, North African and Middle Eastern regions work together, the transition to wind and solar energy can be achieved on a considerably more cost effective basis than if each country were to develop its own wind and solar capacities individually. This is because electricity can then be generated at the most suitable locations and fed via a transmission network to the largest consumption centers . In addition, the supply and demand for electricity from renewable energies complement each other across all seasons. This will allow the natural fluctuations in solar and wind energy to be effectively balanced out.
The German government has already provided for the import of renewable energy in its energy concept. The advantages of desert power for the energy transition in Germany speak for themselves. In the long term, storage technology and the balancing effects of a large-scale transmission system will make it possible to eliminate the use of fossil and nuclear fuels. "The import of desert electricity from the MENA region can provide a cornerstone for Germany in its efforts to guarantee affordable electricity and security of supply. At the same time, the import of "desert power" will reduce the pressure to expand renewables in order to phase out nuclear power and realize ambitious climate protection goals.
"It goes without saying that it's easier to develop power plants and grid networks in the sparsely populated desert regions than in densely populated Europe, especially as the energy yields are mostly greater there. With the help of "desert power", we must seize the opportunity to embed the "small" German energy transition within a "large" international energy transition," says Paul van Son.
