THE DESERTEC CONCEPT

1
THE DESERTEC CONCEPT
Clean power from deserts
Probably the single most effective means of
cutting worldwide emissions of CO2

• Dr Gerry Wolff
• Coordinator of Desertec-UK

2
THE DESERTEC CONCEPT BACKGROUND

• Developed by the 'TREC' international network
  of scientists and engineers, an initiative of the
  Club of Rome.
• Now promoted by the Desertec Foundation and the
  Desertec Industrial Initiative.
• Underpinned by detailed research at the German
  Aerospace Centre (DLR), the US DoE, and
  elsewhere.
• Uses proven technologies that are available
  now.
• The Desertec concept is taking shape now.

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THE DESERTEC CONCEPT IN BRIEF

• Colossal amounts of clean electricity may be
  generated in deserts using 'concentrating solar
  power' (CSP)-and wind power and photovoltaics
  (PV).
• Efficient 'transfers' and transmission of solar
  electricity over long distances via low-loss
  HVDC transmission lines.
• Spin-off benefits including desalination of sea
  water using waste heat from power generation.

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DESERTEC IS HAPPENING NOW

• CSP plants are already feeding electricity into
  the European transmission grid.
• The Desertec Industrial Initiative is a
  consortium of blue-chip companies (including
  ABB, Deutsche Bank, E.ON, Munich Re, RWE, and
  Siemens) aiming to build CSP plants and develop
  the HVDC supergrid.
• New CSP plants are under construction in Spain,
  Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Israel, and other parts
  of the world.
• More are planned by the Union for the
  Mediterranean ('Mediterranean Solar Plan') and
  the World Bank.
• Several HVDC transmission lines are already in
  place. Imera and others plan to build more. The
  EC is providing funds for the supergrid.
• About 9 to 14 GW of CSP capacity is in the
  pipeline worldwide (World Bank and EER estimates).

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PS10 and PS20 power towers in Spain
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Parabolic trough CSP plant, Kramer Junction,
California
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Fresnel mirror systems
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HOW CSP WORKS
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Dish/engine systems in New Mexico
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CPV systems, Australia
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GENERATING ELECTRICITY WITHOUT THE SUN

• Solar heat may be stored in melted salts so
  that the generation of electricity may continue
  at night or on cloudy days.
• Gas or biofuels may be used as a stop-gap
  source of heat when there is no sun.
• With those two things, CSP plants can provide
  power on demandvery useful in matching
  supplies to constantly-varying demands.

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HEAT STORAGE TANKS
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TRANSMISSION START WITH THE EXISTING GRID
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A TRANSMISSION GRID IS LIKE A LAKE
Water (electricity) may be 'transferred' over a
long distance without actual transmission.
Solar power fed into southern Europe can be an
immediate benefit for countries further north.
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TRANSMISSION SUBMARINE SUPERGRID

• Low-loss submarine HVDC supergrids proposed by
  MRP (A) and Airtricity (B).
• Endorsed by EU Energy Commissioner, Günther
  Oettinger and former Energy Commissioner, Andris
  Piebalgs. The EC is providing support for the
  supergrid.
• Some submarine HVDC cables are already in
  place.
• Investment company Imera has announced a 4.4
  billion plan to develop "EuropaGrid North Sea"
  and "EuropaGrid Atlantic".

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TRANSMISSION DESERTEC SCHEMATIC
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BENEFITS OF AN HVDC SUPERGRID

• Security of supply a shortfall in any one area
  can normally be met from elsewhere.
• Reduces wastage surplus power in any one area
  may be moved to where it is needed.
• Smoothes out variations the wind is always
  blowing somewhere across a large area like
  EUMENA.
• Access to offshore wind farms, waves farms,
  etcand CSP!
• Needed for a single market for electricity
  (promoting competition between suppliers).
• Good for UK exports of renewable energy.

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WORDWIDE POTENTIAL OF THE DESERTEC CONCEPT

• With CSP, less than 1 of the world's deserts
  could produce as much electricity as the world is
  using now.
• Less than 5 of the world's deserts could
  produce electricity equivalent to the world's
  total energy consumption.
• Using low-loss HVDC transmission lines, it is
  feasible and economic to transmit electricity for
  3000 km or more.
• 90 of the worlds people live within 2700 km
  of a desert.

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HUGE QUANTITIES OF CLEAN ENERGY IN DESERTS
World the area of desert needed to generate
(with CSP) as much electricity as the world is
using now. EU and MENA corresponding areas for
Europe and for the Middle East with North Africa.
22
ENERGY DENSITIES
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DESERTEC SPIN-OFFS

• Waste heat from the generation of solar
  electricity may be used for the desalination of
  sea water.
• The shaded areas under solar collectors are
  protected against the harshness of direct
  tropical sunlight. They have many potential uses
  including horticulture using desalinated sea
  water.

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WASTE HEAT FROM CSP MAY BE USED FOR DESALINATION
OF SEA WATER
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CSP PROTECTION FROM THE SUN
Shaded areas under solar mirrors have many
potential uses including horticulture using
desalinated sea water. Land that would otherwise
be unproductive may be used for growing food.
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CSP COOLING BY SHADING
Solar collectors provide shade Waste heat
may be used to drive air conditioners.
The system generates electricity
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POWER FOR INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES

• In principle, heat or electricity from CSP
  plants, or both, may be used to power industrial
  processes
• Synthesis of hydrocarbons from CO2 and H2O.
• Synthesis of hydrogen by electrolysis of water
  or direct thermal cracking of water.
• Production and processing of steel, aluminium,
  etc. (Hydrogen as a reducing agent?)
• Glass making.
• Etc.

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FURTHER INFORMATION
www.desertec.org

• www.desertec-uk.org.uk

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CSP COSTS (1)
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CSP COSTS (2)

• German Aerospace Centre (DLR) CSP is likely to
  become one of the cheapest sources of electricity
  in Europe, including the cost of transmission.
• Vinod Khosla "... we are poised for breakaway
  growthfor explosive growthnot because we are
  cleaner than "clean" coal-fired electricity but
  because we are cheaper. We happen to be cleaner
  incidentally."
• CSP costs are falling while the cost of
  traditional sources of energy are rising.

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HOLDING DOWN COSTS
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SUPERGRID COSTS

• The estimated cost of a EUMENA-wide Supergrid
• 45bn for 100 GW (20 x 5 GW).
• 5bn for 10 GW (2 x 5 GW) between North Africa
  and the UK.
• Divided amongst 30 countries and spread over
  10 years, average annual cost per country would
  be 150 million or less.
• For comparison
• 132.5bn (90bn) is Gordon Brown's estimate of
  the cost of cleaning up the UK's nuclear legacy.
• 7.5bn (5.1bn) is the estimated cost of adding
  a new lane to the M1 motorway.
• 166bn (US235bn) is the annual subsidy
  worldwide to fossil fuel industries (New
  Economics Foundation, 2004).

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WORLDWIDE POTENTIAL OF RENEWABLES

• Renewable energy technologies can provide 100
  percent of the worlds energy (not just
  electricity) and it is technically feasible to
  make the transition by 2030. See A path to
  sustainable energy by 2030 by Mark Z. Jacobson
  and Mark A. Delucchi in the November 2009 issue
  of Scientific American.
• Using renewables, total world demand for power
  in 2030 would be 11.5 terawatts compared with
  16.9 terawatts with conventional sources of
  energy.
• In the JD scenario, wind supplies 51 percent of
  the demand worldwide, provided by 3.8 million
  large wind turbines. For comparison, the world
  manufactures 73 million cars and light trucks
  every year.

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WIND POWER 1

• A network of land-based 2.5-megawatt (MW)
  turbines restricted to nonforested, ice-free,
  nonurban areas operating at as little as 20 of
  their rated capacity could supply more than 40
  times current worldwide consumption of
  electricity and more than 5 times total global
  use of energy in all forms. There is additional
  potential in offshore wind farms. See Global
  potential for wind-generated electricity, Xi
  Lua, Michael B. McElroya, and Juha Kiviluomac,
  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
  of the United States of America, June 22, 2009.

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WIND POWER 2

• The "economically competitive potential" of wind
  power in Europe is 3 times projected demand for
  electricity in 2020 and 7 times projected demand
  in 2030. Offshore wind power alone could meet
  between 60 and 70 of projected demand for
  electricity in 2020 and about 80 of projected
  demand in 2030. See Europe's onshore and
  offshore wind energy potential, European
  Environment Agency, 2009.

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MATCHING VARIABLE DEMANDS WITH VARIABLE SUPPLIES

• The variability of sources such as wind power
  is much less of an issue than is sometimes
  suggested. See Managing Variability by
  independent consultant David Milborrow, July
  2009. 
• Electricity transmission networks in the UK are
  already designed to cope with unscheduled outages
  of power stations and variations in consumer
  demand.
• For a small additional cost, wind power could
  provide up to 40 of the UK's electricityand
  more is possible.
• There is a range of techniques for matching
  variable demands with variable supplies.

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SECURITY OF ENERGY SUPPLIES

• The TRANS-CSP scenario provides greater
  security of electricity supplies than current
  systems
• Less imported energy. CSP imports would be the
  exception (lt 15 of European electricity
  supplies).
• Greater diversity of sources of electricity.
  CSP adds to that diversity.
• Plentiful supplies of clean electricity means
  greater energy security for everyone.
• Supergrid allows shortfalls in any area to be
  met from elsewhere.
• CSP plants are hard to disrupt and easy to
  repair.
• The transmission grid can be designed (like the
  internet) to be resilient in the face of damage
  or attack.
• There would be a buyers' market for solar
  electricity. It would be difficult to create a
  solar cartel and any such cartel would probably
  be self-defeating.

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ENDORSEMENTS (1)

• At the inaugural meeting of the Union for the
  Mediterranean in July 2008, Prime Minister Gordon
  Brown said
• ... in the Mediterranean region, concentrated
  solar power offers the prospect of an abundant
  low carbon energy source. Indeed, just as
  Britain's North Sea could be the Gulf of the
  future for offshore wind, so those sunnier
  countries represented here could become a vital
  source of future global energy by harnessing the
  power of the sun. So I am delighted that the EU
  is committing at this summit to work with its
  neighboursincluding Egypt, Jordan, Morocco and
  the League of Arab Statesto explore the
  development of a new 'Mediterranean Solar Plan'
  for the development and deployment of this vital
  technology from the Sahara northwards.

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ENDORSEMENTS (2)

• 173 MPs have signed Early Day Motion 123 in
  support of the DESERTEC concept (rank 39 out of
  2109 EDMs).
• The German government has formally endorsed the
  DESERTEC concept.
• The Dutch House of Representatives has voted
  134 to 16 in favour of the DESERTEC concept.
• H.E Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the President of
  the Republic of Tunisia, has endorsed the
  concept.
• Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan is a strong
  supporter of the concept.
• In the EUMENA region, CSP plants are being
  built in Spain, Italy, Morocco, Algeria, Egypt,
  and Israel.
• Other endorsements Al Gore, Google Inc, Vinod
  Khosla, Hans-Gert Pöttering, The Climate Group,
  Forum for the Future,

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WHAT GOVERNMENTS CAN DO

• Remove overt and hidden subsidies for
  established sources of power.
• Ensure that a proper price is paid for the
  environmental cost of CO2 emissions.
• Create an appropriate international system of
  incentives.
• Create a single market for electricity
  throughout Europe (good) or EUMENA (better).
• Upgrade existing transmission grids and develop
  a EUMENA-wide HVDC supergrid.

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THE DLR REPORTS (2005-2007)

• The MED-CSP, TRANS-CSP and AQUA-CSP
  reports produced by the German Aerospace Center
  (DLR).
• They are the foundation of the Desertec
  concept.
• Show in detail, country by country, how Europe,
  the Middle East and North Africa (EUMENA) can
• meet all needs for electricity.
• make deep cuts in CO2 emissions.
• phase out nuclear power at the same time.
• Concentrating solar power (CSP) as one of
  several renewable sources of energy throughout
  EUMENA.

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MINIMISING THE USE OF FRESH WATER

• Steam generation
• Water is recycled. Avoid leaks.
• Use dish/engine systems or CPV.
• Cooling
• Use dry cooling (best with power towers). Small
  loss of efficiency.
• Use dish/engine systems or CPV.
• Use sea water for cooling.
• Cleaning mirrors
• Brushes.
• Damp cloths or sponges.
• Self-cleaning glass.

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SOME MOTIVATIONS

• UK businesses and householders will welcome the
  opportunity to buy inexpensive clean power from
  deserts.
• DESERTEC is a bold plan that is likely to be
  popular with voters.
• CSP costs are falling while the costs of fossil
  fuels and nuclear power are rising.
• Global security plentiful cheap power
  increases energy security for everyone.
• The technologies are all proven and available
  now.
• CSP plants are quick to build.
• Many opportunities for UK plc.
• DESERTEC can help meet targets for renewable
  energy and cuts in CO2 emissions.

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DESERTEC BENEFITS

• Plentiful, inexhaustible, inexpensive and
  carbon-free power for EUMENAand corresponding
  cuts in CO2 emissions (mitigation).
• Alleviation of climate-change-induced shortages
  of water, food and usable land (adaptation).
• Jobs and earnings in large new industries
  throughout EUMENA. Large commercial opportunities
  for UK plc.
• Global security
• By alleviating shortages of energy, water, food
  and usable land, CSP can reduce the risk of
  conflict over those resources. (cf Margaret
  Becketts speeches).
• A win-win solar collaboration amongst countries
  of EUMENA can help to improve relations amongst
  different groups of people. (cf Nicolas Sarkozys
  call for a new trans-Mediterranean partnership).

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BENEFITS FOR THE UK

• With or without electricity imports into the
  UK
• Cutting worldwide emissions of CO2 (we are all
  at risk).
• Plentiful supplies of clean energy means, and
  increased diversity of supplies, means increased
  energy security for everyone.
• Holding down the price of electricity
  throughout EUMENA.
• Raising living standards in developing
  countries and reducing tensions from poverty and
  immigration.
• Business opportunities and jobs for "UK plc".
• Imports of electricity into the UK
• Physical and/or virtual imports of clean
  electricity.
• Kyoto credits and/or EU renewable energy
  credits.

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SUGGESTED NEXT STEPS FOR THE UK GOVERNMENT

• Recognise the importance of the DESERTEC
  concept in cutting worldwide emissions of CO2.
• Incorporate the DESERTEC concept in the UK's
  strategy for renewable energy.
• Establish a DESERTEC team within DECC to
  promote DESERTEC developments.
• Work with the UKs international partners to
  make the necessary reforms in laws and
  regulations.

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Parabolic trough CSP plant, Kramer
Junction, California
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A dish-engine system
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Solar Two power tower, Barstow, California
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Parabolic trough collector, Albuquerque
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Sunset over solar collectors
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DESERTEC AND STEEL

• Solar electricity may serve as a clean source
  of power for steel making.
• Solar heat may, in principle, be used for steel
  making R D required.
• CSP-generated hydrogen may be used as a
  reducing agent in steel making R D required
• CSP plants and HVDC transmission lines will
  need lots of steel.
• DESERTEC projects may qualify for CDM or other
  credits.

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REDUCING UK DEMANDS FROM ENERGY-INTENSIVE
APPLICATIONS, eg computer data centres
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HVDC SUPERGRID FEATURES

• HVDC grids are highly-efficient losses are
  only about 3 per 1000 km.
• Electricity may be transmitted between North
  Africa and London with less than 10 loss of
  power.
• It is feasible and economic to transmit solar
  electricity for 3000 km or more.
• 90 of the worlds population lives within 2700
  km of a desert.
• HVDC grids do not replace existing HVAC grids,
  they complement them.

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ASSESSING CSP COSTS AND BENEFITS

• Potential benefits include desalination of sea
  water and CSP horticulture.
• Fossil fuels are still heavily subsidised in
  many countries this has to stop.
• Fossil fuels are still not paying a proper
  price for CO2 emissions this has to stop.
• Costs widely quoted for nuclear power are far
  too low and do not take account of several hidden
  subsidies.
• Feed-in tariffs or other kinds of support for
  renewable forms of energy are already available
  in many countries.
• Most CSP plants are hybrids the fossil part
  is cheap to build but expensive to run the solar
  part is more expensive to build but cheaper to
  run.

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TRANS-CSP SCENARIO
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SARGENT LUNDY 2003
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SARGENT LUNDY 2005
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JOBS AND EARNINGS

• Design and manufacture of CSP plants
• Boilers, steam turbines, generators etc (same
  as ordinary power station).
• Solar collectors and heat stores.
• Building CSP plants using manufactured
  components (in the sun belt).
• Management and maintenance of CSP plants (in
  the sun belt).
• Design and manufacture of HVDC transmission
  lines and associated equipment.
• Installation and maintenance of HVDC
  transmission lines (throughout EUMENA).

63
GLOBAL SECURITY

• By alleviating shortages of energy, water, food
  and usable land, CSP can reduce the risk of
  conflict over those resources.
• A win-win solar collaboration amongst countries
  of Europe, the Middle East and North Africa can
  help to improve relations amongst different
  groups of people.

64
SECURITY OF TRANSMISSION

• HVDC Supergrid
• Improves security a shortfall in any one area
  can normally be met from one or more other areas.
• Can be designed to accommodate damage (like the
  internet).
• Airtricity propose laying HVDC cables under the
  sea.

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EACH YEARS DELAY MEANS STEEPER CUTS IN CO2
EMISSIONS
200
S curve from 2012
180
9 p.a. reduction
160
140
120
Carbon emissions (MtC)
100
Cumulative CO2 emissions
80
60
40
20
0
2000
2010
2020
2030
2040
2050
Year
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DESERT POWER FOR THE UK?
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TOO FAR?

• With low-loss HVDC transmission lines, it is
  feasible and economic to transmit electricity up
  to 3000 km or more.
• There may be less than 10 loss of power over
  the 2000 km between North Africa and the UK.
• Electricity may be "transferred" over long
  distances without actual transmission (see next).

71
TOO LONG TO WAIT?

• The UK can begin to benefit soon from CSP via
  long-distance "transfers" of electricity via the
  existing grid. We don't have to wait for the
  supergrid to be completed.
• CSP plants are relatively quick to build.
• As quantities increase, the grid may be
  upgraded by removing bottlenecks, by converting
  HVAC lines to HVDC, and by adding new HVDC lines
  and smart electronics.
• A large market for CSP will give confidence to
  investors, helping rapid expansion of the
  industry.

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TOO INSECURE?

• The TRANS-CSP scenario provides greater
  security of electricity supplies than current
  systems
• Less imported energy. CSP imports would be the
  exception (lt 15 of European electricity
  supplies).
• Greater diversity of sources of electricity.
  CSP adds to that diversity.
• Supergrid allows shortfalls in any area to be
  met from elsewhere.
• Many countries have sunny deserts.
• CSP plants are hard to disrupt and easy to
  repair.
• The transmission grid can be designed (like the
  internet) to be resilient in the face of damage
  or attack.
• Plentiful supplies of clean electricity means
  greater security for everyone.

73
TOO COSTLY?

• Estimated cost of 100 GW supergrid is 45
  billion (TRANS-CSP report).
• Shared amongst 30 countries and spread over 10
  years, this would be, on average, 150 million
  (or less) for each country, each year.
• CSP is likely to be one of the cheapest sources
  of electricity in Europe, including the cost of
  transmission (TRANS-CSP report).
• Studies show that supergrids are good value for
  money.

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OPPORTUNITIES FOR "UK PLC"

• There are now over 40 CSP companies worldwide,
  including several with a UK base
• Arxiel Ventures
• HelioDynamics
• Microsharp Corporation Limited
• Naanovo Energy
• Schott Solar Thermal
• Silicon CPV
• Whitfield Solar
• Transmission companies
• ABB UK
• Nexans
• Siemens UK
• Other Steel, electronics, project management,
  finance, etc etc.

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Study Project TRANS-CSP Trans-Mediterranean
Interconnection for Concentrating Solar Power
(Introduction Summary) Project for the
Research Development Programme of the German
Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature
Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU)
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50 Countries analysed within the MED-CSP and
TRANS-CSP Studies
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Gross Electricity Demand in the Analysed Countries
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TRANS-CSP Electricity Generation in Europe
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Security and Redundancy of Power Supply in a
Future TRANS-Mediterranean HVDC Grid
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TRANS-CSP CO2 Emissions in Europe
RUE Rational Use of Energy RES Renewable
Energy Systems CCS Carbon Capture
Sequestration Avoided CO2 is calculated with
respect to a mix as in the year 2000 including
nuclear power
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Land Lost or Gained ?Concentrating Solar Thermal
Power Plants combined with Sea Water Desalination
in Coastal Desert Areas
Energy Water Income Sustainable economic
development in arid regions
AC Grid
HVDC Link
(artist view created with Google Earth)
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TRANS-CSP Investment for Least Cost Electricity
Example Spain
TRANS-CSP Mix Energy Mix as described here incl.
RUE, RES and CCS Mix 2000 Maintaining exactly
the Power Mix like in the Year 2000 with CCS