Global Compact International Yearbook Ausgabe 2011

Agenda
Inside MENA
A reasonable strategy for sustainability in the power sector
is, therefore, to establish a well-balanced mix of renewable
energy sources in order to deliver power on demand at any
time with as little fluctuation as possible. Within a reasonable
range of capacities, pump storage and distribution of
electricity within the grid can help to further balance power
supply. In that case, the consumption of stored fossil fuels
can be reduced to a point where they are used exclusively
for backup reserves and balancing power, while the bulk of
electricity will be generated by renewable sources.
Such a strategy may lead to energy sustainability in the MENA
region, but at present the rapidly expanding consumer base
in the region is using almost exclusively oil and gas for power
generation. Looking into the medium- and long-term future,
this must change significantly in favor of major shares being
generating from renewable energy – not only for environmental
reasons but also for socio-economic and political
reasons. A business-as-usual strategy based on fossil fuels
would lead to sharply increased competition and potentially
serious conflicts between the countries north and south of
the Mediterranean. Alternatively, the scenario outlined in
the graphic creates excellent business opportunities for the
MENA power sector: The realization of electricity exports
from the MENA region to Europe alone has been estimated
to involve an investment of €400–600 billion up until 2050.
If supply of the local electricity demand is also included, the
total investment by that time in the EU-MENA power sector
will amount to several thousand billion euros.
Seawater desalination is increasingly becoming an important
energy topic in the MENA region. Already today there is a
critical scarcity of potable water, with groundwater levels
decreasing in some regions by up to 6 meters every year
due to overexploitation. Seawater desalination is a very
energy-intensive option that only makes sense if a sustainable
source of energy is used. Solar energy correlates very
well with the demand for seawater desalination, as it is the
major cause of water scarcity and, thus, an elegant way to
solve the problem.
Sustainable electricity supply scenario for the MENA region
4500
4000
Desalination
Source: Authors
Selected activities
Mediterranean Solar Plan (MSP)
The Mediterranean Solar Plan was initiated under the scope of
the “Barcelona Process: Union for the Mediterranean (UfM).” It
was launched in July 2008 as one of the strategic processes for
sustainable development to address the foreseeable increase
of energy demand in the Euro-Mediterranean region and the
need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Its main objective
is to develop an installed capacity of 20 GW of renewable
power on the south shore of the Mediterranean, as well as
the necessary infrastructures for an electricity interconnection
with Europe.
DESERTEC
The DESERTEC concept is based on the use of desert areas to
harvest renewable energy like solar and wind power where
it is most abundantly available. In order to accelerate the
construction of the required facilities and infrastructure, the
Desertec Foundation (DF) and its industrial initiative, Dii GmbH,
both established in 2009, are working on the development of
appropriate policy frameworks that will allow for international
trade with clean power and provide suitable investment incentives
in the MENA region. The long-term goal is to provide a
considerable share of the power generation from renewable
sources in the MENA region and about 100 GW of solar energy
exports from the MENA region to Europe by 2050.
MedGrid
Whereas Dii GmbH is focusing on the entire value-adding
chain of power generation, transmission, and power markets
and working on a long-term roll-out plan to be implemented
by 2050, the French MedGrid industry initiative is concentrating
on establishing power transmission infrastructure and
framework conditions in the Mediterranean region by 2020
within the framework of the Mediterranean Solar Plan (MSP).
The industry initiatives Dii GmbH and MedGrid plan to work
in close cooperation with each other.
European initiatives
In its renewable energy directive from 2010, the European
Commission established concrete goals of renewable energy
shares in Europe to be implemented by 2020 and lists the
different renewable energy technologies that are candidates
for European supply. A recent communication from Catherine
Ashton, the High Representative of the European Commission
for Foreign Affairs, proposed “a partnership for democracy
and shared prosperity with the Southern Mediterranean” to
the European Parliament, the Council, and the Committee, in
which she proposes to establish in the long-run an “EU-South
Mediterranean Energy Community.”
National MENA initiatives
Egypt and Morocco have already initiated renewable energy
development processes in the form of wind parks, although
on a very modest scale compared to the activities in this sector
in Europe. The United Arab Emirates has founded the
company Masdar for the deployment of sustainable forms of
energy. Under the supervision of the Moroccan Agency for
Solar Energy, Morocco has started to develop power plants
with a projected capacity of 2,000 MW deriving from wind,
photovoltaic, and solar thermal power.
Electricity [TWh/y]
3500
3000
2500
2000
1500
1000
Export Solar
Photovoltaics
Wind
Geothermal
Hydropower
Biomass
CSP Plants
500
Oil / Gas
Coal
0
2000
2010 2020 2030 2040 2050
Year
Prof. Dr. Dr. Hans Müller-
Steinhagen is Rector at
Technische Universität
Dresden.
Dr. Franz Trieb is Project
Manager at the German
Aerospace Center (DLR).
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