The Sahara Strikes Back

While most of the world’s scientific attention is focused on the Bali global warming conference, the Prince of Jordan is speaking in Brussels to the European parliament. As it turns out, Prince Hassan bin Talal seems to be a solar energy fan. Fresh perspective from Franz Treib, a German scientist, seems fuel his optimism:

“If you built a plant the same size as Lake Nasser in Egypt (6,000 sq km),” the Prince said, “it would produce the same amount of energy as the total Middle East oil production.”

Europe is presently hashing out details of a plan to milk solar resources from African and Middle Eastern deserts. Developed by the Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Corporation, the project would run about $10,000,000,000 as more than a hundred generators would line the desert shores of the Mediterranean. They’re hoping to eventually crank out one hundred billion watts of power, which could power Britain eight times over.

Solar thermal plants play a big part in the prince’s vision. We’ve already discussed the beauty of solar thermal plants - which at this point have only seen the light of day in Spain and Algeria - so we know that the ecological advantages are immense. But solar power can be as much of a peacemaker as a power source: Thermal plants can also be used to produce clean drinking water, which in developing countries is worth its weight in gold.

An estimated two-thirds of the energy generated would be kept for local needs, while the rest would be exported to Europe. As some of the poorest of the poor for most of contemporary history, Africa might enjoy a windfall in the 21st century for a resource previously ignored: massive swaths of all-but-uninhabitable deserts. How will the demand for renewable energy reset the balance of power?

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