PHOTON International The Photovoltaic Magazine

Study suggests solar thermal plants to provide majority of power in Mediterranean region

The German Aerospace Center (DLR) on April 16 released a new study commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety that envisions a strong future role for solar thermal power in the Mediterranean region.

Among the key findings in the 300-page report Concentrating Solar Power for the Mediterranean Region is that electricity demand in North African and the Middle Eastern countries will nearly triple by 2050. Covering that demand with fossil fuels will cause carbon dioxide emissions to follow suit, jumping from 770 million tons to 2,000 million tons per year. On the other hand, turning to renewable energy options could reduce emissions to 475 million tons per year and would also be less expensive in the medium term.

Beginning in about 2025, almost all renewable energies in the region would be cheaper than fossil fuel plants, according to the study's modeling. By 2050, DLR recommends that fossil fuel-fired power plants only be used for peak load demand, which stands in stark contrast to efforts now underway to extend the use of fossil fuel power plants as baseload generators by developing carbon sequestration and storage in underground geological formations. The reduction of their role to meeting peaking demand makes their use »environmentally compatible,« according to the study, a central task of which was to find a well-balanced combination of technologies leading to a sustainable and secure supply of electricity. This would also extend their use for centuries.

Solar thermal will play the dual role of providing electricity and desalinating seawater. In the DLR scenario, solar thermal will make up over 50 percent of electricity supply in the Mediterranean region, contributing more than all other renewable energy sources combined. Photovoltaics would be used mostly for remote power systems.

To download the study free of cost, go to: www.dlr.de/tt/MED-CSP