Cheap, safe and environmentally friendly electricity from concentrating solar power systems could meet about 15% of European power needs by 2050. This was confirmed by studies prepared by the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) on behalf of the German Federal Environment Ministry (Bundesumweltministerium).
Studies in energy carried out by researchers at the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt; DLR) have shown that it is possible to supply Europe and North Africa with environment-friendly energy. Their work is based on the DESERTEC energy concept.
In Morocco, a group of companies led by Saudi Arabian ACWA Power International is going to build a power plant that will provide electricity for less than 15 euro cents per kilowatt hour.
On 5 June 2012, Greenpeace International presented a fundamental step in the development of sustainable energy supply, in the form of its 'energy [r]evolution' report.
As a dependable technology, solar thermal power stations can play an important role in transitioning the power grid to renewable energy sources. In contrast to other renewable sources, they supply electricity on demand and can stabilise the grid.
On 31 March 2011 the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and Spanish utility company Endesa inaugurated a direct solar steam generation and energy storage pilot plant at Carboneras, located in southern Spain. In this type of solar power plant, steam is produced directly from concentrated solar radiation and used to drive a generator. The highlight of this facility is a new system that efficiently stores energy, both as sensible heat and latent heat. The stored energy can be used to generate electricity even at night.
In the interview, Prof. A. Khalil, Vice Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Cairo, discusses renewable energy in Egypt and the DLR project Energy in the Middle East and North Africa, enerMENA.
In the interview, Prof. Chiheb Bouden, Director of the Ecole Nationale d'Ingénieurs de Tunisia, discusses renewable energy in Tunisia and the DLR project Energy in the Middle East and North Africa, enerMENA.