A plan to build solar power generators in the Sahara Desert to supply electricity to the European Union may ease the continent’s reliance on Russia for supplies, EU Energy Commissioner Günther Oettinger said Tuesday.
“We need many small dependencies and not one big dependency,” Oettinger said at a conference.
“So maybe Morocco or Tunisia are additional dependencies to the OPEC states or to gas from Russia.”
Policymakers and executives are meeting in the Spanish city this week to build support for Desertec, an initiative that aims to connect Europe to Saharan solar power through high-voltage transmission cables, provided that governments can agree on sharing investments and supplies.
Dii, the company created last year to develop the first trial projects, is backed by Deutsche Bank, Siemens and the ABB Group as well as the Desertec Foundation.
(Bloomberg)
