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Thursday, April 28th, 2016

MENA To Europe Supergrid Could Facilitate Near-100% Renewable Energy

Author:     Joshua S Hill
Source:     CleanTechnica
Publication Date:     April 21st, 2016
 Link: MENA To Europe Supergrid Could Facilitate Near-100% Renewable Energy
Stephan:   This is good news and an important data point on our exit out of the carbon age. The report described here I think repressents an emerging consensus; one that could stabilize the world and improve wellness. When I was living in Egypt and the Israelis gave back the Sinai, I argued at the time, that Egypt, Palestine, and Israel should join to create in the desert solar installations that would make them collectively the Saudi Arabia of solar, and change the course of their history in very positive ways. Imagine, as just one scenario, if Israeli design and financial firms, had built the installations with Palestinian managers, and Egyptian workers. They would have been in an active mutually beneficial regional partnership, instead of what did happen, and where we are today.  Similarly, this could and it could change both Europe and Africa in positive ways. More about the report can be found here, and the report is available for download here (PDF).

A megalithic ‘Supergrid’ connecting Northern Africa with Europe could help both regions reach near-100% renewable energy share.

Satellite EuropeThis is the primary conclusion from a new report published by Fraunhofer ISE, which was worked on by five separate Fraunhofer institutes, each using their individual expertise to examine the idea of a Supergrid which would connect the Middle East North Africa (MENA) region with Europe. The report, which developed several Supergrid scenarios, evaluating their potential as well as the necessary technologies and policies, found that decarbonization of the electricity systems in the EU and MENA by focusing on renewable energies “is possible and economically practicable.”

If this near-100% expansion of renewable energy in North Africa were to benefit Europe, however, a transition to “a meshed superimposed HVDC grid with bipolar VSC technology which allows the transmission of fluctuating power from renewable power plants over long distances” would be necessary.

“The results of the study show that decarbonizing the electricity supply in Europe and North Africa is feasible in a cost-effective manner,” said Professor Dr. Werner Platzer, project leader and division director at Fraunhofer […]

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