Brussels, 18/11/2011 (Agence Europe) - Desertec and Medgrid, two complementary solar energy generation and transport network projects in the Mediterranean, are to work together.
Representatives of the two initiatives are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding putting the terms of their future cooperation down on paper on the sidelines of the Energy Council on 24 November and with Energy Commission Günther Oettinger present, the Commission announced on 18 November.
Desertec, which was formed in 2009, bringing together 17 companies, most of which are German and include energy groups E.ON, and TWE, along with Siemens, ABB and Deutsche Bank, joined in 2010 by Enel Green Power of Italy, French group Saint-Gobain Solar, Red Electrica of Spain and Nareva Holding of Morocco, is a planned network of solar power plants in North Africa and the Middle East which aims to be able to supply up to 15% of the EU's energy needs by 2015.
Medgrid was founded in 2010 by 20 industrial groups, including EDF, RTE, Alstom, Areva, Atos Origin, Nexans and CDC of France, Abvengoa and Red Electrica of Spain, Siemens of Germany, Terna, Prysmian and Nemo of Italy, ONE of Morocco and Taqa of the United Arab Emirates. It is a project for a network of underwater high-tension lines in the Mediterranean to carry solar-generated electricity from North Africa, the Sahara ands the Middle East to the Community market.
These two complementary initiatives form part of the Mediterranean Solar Plan, a project put on the table by the Commission in November 2008, which provides for the construction of solar and wind energy generation facilities, with a capacity of 20 gigawatts by 2020, in the south and east of the Mediterranean basin. A quarter of the planned generation - 5 GW - will be for export to the EU. (EH/transl.rt)