TREC exploring desert-based electricity production for Europe

In 2003, The Club of Rome, the Hamburg Climate Protection Foundation and the National Energy Research Center of Jordan founded an energy initiative called the Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Cooperation (TREC). Since it was founded, it has developed the DESERTEC Concept and researched it in cooperation with the German Aerospace Center (DLR). Now TREC is campaigning for the transmission of clean power from deserts throughout Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.

TREC believes that the concept of boosting the generation of electricity and desalinated water by solar thermal power plants and wind turbines in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) and transmitting the clean electrical power via High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) transmission lines throughout those areas and to Europe is a viable solution to the rising costs of fossil fuel. The DLR studies confirm DESERTEC’s viability.

The technology is not a problem. Since the mid 1980s, solar thermal power plants have been operating trouble-free in the US states of California and Nevada. More plants are currently being built in southern Spain, Algeria, Morocco and the United Arab Emirates.

For countries such as Libya, Morocco, Algeria, Sudan and especially Middle Eastern states, the solar power business could be the start of a sustainable industry, creating jobs and a reliable flow of money into these countries. Europe would gain by being free of CO2-producing and nuclear power plants. TREC hopes to rally enough support and interest to begin planned partnerships soon. http://www.desertec.org/index.html