BIG SUN IN NORTH AFRICA

Desertec and Medgrid: Competitive or compatible? Two organisations aiming for the same goal can complement each others’ efforts
Heba Hashem, 11 March 2011 (CSP Today)

"With similar visions, motives and targets, France-based Medgrid and Germany’s Desertec Industrial Initiative (Dii)…[have] shareholders in common- such as Siemens, Terna, REE and Abengoa - [are] working on feasibility studies…within the EU-MENA renewable energy mission…[and] operate in parallel and exchange information regularly…[But] a tangible outcome is yet to be seen…

"In the very long-term, Dii aims to satisfy up to 15% of European power demands and a substantial part of the MENA countries’ energy needs by 2050- when electricity and water requirements in the region are expected to have become as high as in Europe…In the short-term, [the non-profit] Dii will identify “reference projects” to demonstrate and prove the feasibility of the Desertec concept…"

Desertec (click to enlarge)

"Dii’s first reference project is sought to be complete by 2013, and another two will be defined at selected MENA states. The power grid connection that exists between Morocco and Spain…[makes Morocco] the [likely] location of the first reference project…Dii also intends to develop a roll-out plan by as early as 2012 to guide investors…Dii will act as a facilitator and a driving force to enable joint renewable energy projects…[in cooperation with] political, institutional or industrial initiatives, including the Mediterranean Solar Plan (MSP), the World Bank’s Clean Technology Fund (CTF) and the Medgrid…

"…Formerly known as the Transgreen initiative, Paris-based [international organization] Medgrid will focus specifically on transmission issues and the need for grids. It plans to complete a number of preliminary studies by 2013 and to assess the benefits of investing in [“super grid”] HVDC technology to reach the final goal…"

Medgrid (click to enlarge)

"…[T]his would mean increased interconnections within the EU grid; an extension of the interconnections beyond the EU grid limit; and a better efficiency of the operation of the grids…[T]wo main strategic directions for the power grid of the future [ae] the high voltage super grids consisting of AC and DC, and the more intelligent smart grids…Besides complementing Dii…Medgrid will empower the entire movement…

"Medgrid’s long-term objective is to install 20GW from renewable energy sources in the south and east of the Mediterranean Basin by 2020, with 5GW being devoted to exports for Europe…[through a concentration] exclusively on transmission issues…Dii's activities have been inspired by the Desertec vision, while Medgrid's activities are based on the Mediterranean Solar Plan (MSP)…The Desertec vision is already becoming a reality with…a 200MW [Egyptian] wind farm… [and] an ambitious [Moroccan] 2,000MW solar program [financed]…"