Memorandum submitted by Desertec
THE DESERTEC
CONCEPT
In brief, the DESERTEC concept means:
— The potential to generate colossal amounts
of clean electricity in desert regions using the proven technology
of concentrating solar power (CSP), together with wind power and
photovoltaics (PV).
— The possibility of transmitting clean
electricity for 3000 km or more using low-loss high-voltage direct-current
(HVDC) transmission lines, and the integration of "desert"
power with other renewable sources of power throughout Europe,
the Middle East and North Africa.
— Spin-off benefits for host countries
including the potential to desalinate sea water using waste heat
from the generation of electricity.
— The application of similar principles
in other regions throughout the world.
The DESERTEC concept, which was developed by
the "TREC" international network of scientists and engineers,
is underpinned by detailed research at the German Aerospace Centre
(DLR), the US Department of Energy, and elsewhere.
CSP plants are already under construction in
Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Israel and Spain, and other CSP plants
in Spain are already on stream and delivering clean power into
the European transmission grid. The DESERTEC concept is the basis
for the Mediterranean Solar Plan (MSP) of the Union for the Mediterranean
and it is also the basis of the new DESERTEC Industrial Initiative
(DII) by a consortium of blue-chip companies led by Munich Re.[33]
The investment company Imera has announced plans to start building
a European supergrid of submarine HVDC transmission lines.
Further information may be found in the following:
— The website of DESERTEC-UK at http://www.trec-uk.org.uk/.
— The website of the DESERTEC Foundation
at http://www.desertec.org/.
— The DESERTEC concept in brief
This summarises the DESERTEC concept in key points. This and the
following documents may be downloaded from www.trec-uk.org.uk/resources.htmPDFdocs.
— DESERTEC and the UK This summarises
the potential benefits of DESERTEC for the UK, provides answers
to some frequently-asked questions, and outlines things that the
UK government can do to help things forward.
— Clean power from deserts: what governments
can do This provides reasons why governments and the EU should
do all that they can to facilitate the DESERTEC developments,
and it summarises what actions are needed to move things forward.
— DESERTEC: security of energy supplies
Provides reasons why we may have confidence in the security of
energy supplies in a DESERTEC scenario.
— Kick-start and upgrade Describes
how imports of "clean power from deserts" may begin
relatively soon via the existing grid and how the grid may be
upgraded as the quantities of electricity increase.
— Supergrid costs and benefits Describes
why the proposed EUMENA-wide HVDC supergrid would be good value
for money and affordable.
— Interstate transmission superhighways:
paving the way to a low-carbon future This is an article
from RenewableEnergyWorld.com21 which makes a case for a large-scale
grid in the USA.
Here are some brief answers to some
of the questions in the announcement of this enquiry:
— What opportunities exist for the creation
of a green new deal whilst pursuing a low carbon economy? Which
technologies have the biggest potential? Has the Government done
enough in its stimulus package?
The DII, the MSP and the creation
of a EUMENA-wide HVDC supergrid mean large opportunities for "UK
plc". Several CSP and power transmission companies already
have a presence in the UK[34]
as do several founding members of the DII including ABB and Siemens.
Alstom, which has a presence in the UK, makes the turbines, generators
and other equipment needed to convert solar heat into electricity.
It is already a member of the European Solar Thermal Electricity
Association (ESTELA).
Regarding the Government's stimulus package, it would
have been better if the "scrappage" scheme for cars
had been devoted to the scrappage of dirty electricity generating
plants and their replacement with clean generating technologies,
including CSP, PV, wind power and more. Scrapping cars before
they have worn out and replacing them with the same dirty technologies
has been unhelpful in the fight against climate change.
— What are the most important drivers,
nationally and internationally, for a low carbon economy in the
UK? To what extent do the outcomes of the international negotiations
at Copenhagen matter?
Clean power from deserts: what
governments can do[35]
describes the main government actions, nationally and internationally,
that we think are needed to move things forward.
At present, the Copenhagen negotiations appear to
be deadlocked and likely to fail. This has serious implications
for the speed with which worldwide emissions can be brought down.
We believe that the "Kyoto2" proposals provide the best
way round the roadblocks.[36]
— How important is it to the UK economy
that it becomes a leading developer and exporter of low carbon
technologies? What Government policy needs to be in place to do
this?
After the banking crisis, the UK cannot
afford to neglect the major commercial opportunities that are
opening up in power from the sun, wind, waves, tides, geothermal
power, and more, and in the conservation of energy. To catch up
with other countries in these areas, the Government needs to be
more supportive of emerging technologies. It should avoid "picking
winners".
— Are we seeing impacts of a downturn
on demand and investment in low carbon technologies? If so, how
can this be addressed given the need to meet long term targets?
What obstacles to investment are there?
Government policies should provide
support for emerging technologies and a degree of protection against
the ups and downs of the economic cycle. Investment may be inhibited
by seemingly small details in laws and regulations.[37]
Overcoming those kinds of problems means close consultation with
relevant companies and other stakeholders. The needs of small
"emerging" companies should be given at least as much
weight as the views of more established players.
— What is the potential role for public
procurement and policies such as the 2016 zero carbon homes target
in driving investment, development and job creation?
Those kinds of policies probably have
a role to play but what are probably more important are well-designed
incentive schemes (eg feed-in tariffs with proper levels of return
for investors), overcoming unnecessary planning delays, ensuring
access to the grid, and the kind of detailed consultations mentioned
above.
October 2009
33 The founding members of the DII are ABB, ABENGOA
Solar, Cevital, Deutsche Bank, E.ON, HSH Nordbank, MAN Solar Millennium,
Munich Re, M+W Zander, RWE, SCHOTT Solar, and SIEMENS. Back
34
See companies marked "UK" on http://www.trec-uk.org.uk/links/commercial.htm. Back
35
PDF, 68 KB, 4 sides, http://www.trec-uk.org.uk/resources/CSP_reasons_actions3.pdf. Back
36
See "Kyoto2 in brief", http://www.mng.org.uk/gh/resources/kyoto2_in_brief3.pdf
(PDF, 113 KB); www.kyoto2.org; and Kyoto2: How to Manage the
Global Greenhouse, Oliver Tickell, Zed Books, 2008. Back
37
Apparently, a small change in the regulations governing feed-in
tariffs in Spain-ensuring that the rates of support would remain
in place over long periods-led to a surge in investment in renewables. Back
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