Desertec

DESERTEC
Established2003
20 January 2009
Purpose"To provide climate protection, energy security and development by generating sustainable power from the sites where renewable sources of energy are at their most abundant."[1]
Key people
Gerhard Knies, Inventor of the Desertec Concept
Timo Bracht, Michael Schröder, Hubert Schwingshandl, Directors of the Desertec Foundation[2]
SubsidiariesDESERTEC Foundation
AffiliationsSee consortium
WebsiteDESERTEC Foundation

DESERTEC is a non-profit foundation that focuses on the production of renewable energy in desert regions.[3] The project aims to create a global renewable energy plan based on the concept of harnessing sustainable powers, from sites where renewable sources of energy are more abundant, and transferring it through high-voltage direct current transmission to consumption centers. The foundation also works on concepts involving green hydrogen.[4] Multiple types of renewable energy sources are envisioned, but their plan is centered around the natural climate of the deserts.[5]

The DII evolved in several steps. The Foundation's first idea was to focus on the transmission of renewable power from the MENA region to Europe, while the next one focused on meeting the domestic demand. The project failed twice due to the problem of transportation and cost-inefficiency. The initiative was revived in 2020 with a focus on green hydrogen, catering to both domestic demand and exports to foreign markets.[6][7][8]

  1. ^ "DESERTEC Foundation: Concept". Archived from the original on 14 December 2012. Retrieved 26 September 2012.
  2. ^ "The Team of the DESERTEC Foundation". 2019.
  3. ^ "About Us | DESERTEC Foundation". www.desertec.org. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  4. ^ "Technology | DESERTEC Foundation". www.desertec.org. Retrieved 7 December 2021.
  5. ^ "DESERTEC Foundation". www.desertec.org. Retrieved 27 March 2022.
  6. ^ "Green Hydrogen from the Sahara – A bridge between Europe and North Africa?". www.ifair.eu. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  7. ^ "MENA's chance at hydrogen exports". www.energyvoice.com. 26 February 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  8. ^ "Hydrogen : The bridge between Africa and Europe". www.energynet.co.uk. 20 August 2020. Retrieved 13 October 2020.