Solar and wind energy in desert sand

Scientist of Evonik develop under the management of Creavis Technologies & Innovation solar concentrators and collector systems for solar thermal power plants. These form one of the cornerstones of the Dii.

The Desertec concept aims at meeting a large proportion of future power requirements in Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa through sustainable and climate-friendly generation using renewable energies.

By the year 2050, about 15 percent of Europe's power requirements and a significantly higher proportion of the growing power needs of the Middle East and North Africa are expected to be met by solar and wind energy, generated on the North African coast. The budget for implementation of the Desertec concept is around €400 billion. The 100 gigawatt target corresponds to the output of about 100 conventional large power plants.

The Club of Rome developed the Desertec concept as long ago as the 1970s. The realization of this concept now represents one of the largest projects in the history of mankind. Under a three-year plan extending to the end of 2012, the industrial initiative is developing the regulatory framework for its implementation.