Dave Elliott: The “desert solar” idea has been around for some time, and several large concentrated solar power (CSP) projects are now running in North Africa. Morocco, for example, is building a series of CSP arrays covering about 1.4 million square metres, with Noor 1 already generating power from its 160 MW of capacity and expansion to 580 MW under way. One early vision was for some of the power from projects like this to be exported to Europe via undersea marine cables. Nothing has come of that so far (all the energy produced from the existing projects is used locally), but it has recently been revived by London-based TuNur Ltd. This company has filed a request to the Tunisian Ministry of Energy, Mines & Renewable Energy for the authorisation of a 4.5 GW CSP parabolic mirror focused solar project in the Sahara desert in southwest Tunisia. If fully realised, the development would cover 25,000 hectares. Phase 1 of the plant would cost $85m, and the power cost would, it was claimed, be $101/MWh. It’s a bold plan – especially the export idea.
Physics World 13th June 2018 read more »
James Owen has been an advocate for public sector solar deployment for many years, and has been integral in a number of significant public sector successes including huge projects at RAF Lyneham and the Science Museum site at Wroughton. as well as the first public sector bond issue at Common Farm in Swindon, he believes the public sector can deliver gigawatts worth of solar without subsidy. Ever since I got into green energy, back in 2002, I have focussed on helping the public sector lower its carbon footprint, deliver more sustainable services and deploy renewables. This was both from the bottom up, in my days in a local environment charity in Wiltshire, and as in installer with my own business. I have also worked from the top down, through large-scale initiatives during my tenure leading Public Power Solutions in Swindon. In my own consultancy today I have structured several pioneering projects and was delighted to model the finances for typical council projects in order to support the findings of the STA’s recent Leading Lights report.
STA 15th June 2018 read more »
