France seeks electricity lines under Mediterranean: sources

[OKIsItJustMe]

http://www.africasia.com/services/news/newsitem.php?area=africa&item=100328172607.hg7ednny.php

28/03/2010 17:26 PARIS, March 28 (AFP)

France seeks electricity lines under Mediterranean: sources

France is working on plans for a consortium of companies to build a vast network of undersea electricity lines to bring solar power from Africa to Europe, sources close to the matter said Sunday.

The project, dubbed Transgreen, aims to bring together power companies, network operators and high-tension equipment makers under the leadership of French energy giant Electricite de France, the sources said.

The initiative is to be unveiled at a meeting of energy ministers from Europe and countries on the Mediterranean in Cairo on May 25.

Under a first phase running until 2012, the consortium would carry out feasibility studies for laying a huge network of high-tension, undersea power lines.

...

[tabatha]

1. Oh, jeepers.

Another part of the world destroyed by man.

[DavidDvorkin]

2. As opposed to coal/oil/gas/nuclear power generators in Europe?

[tabatha]

3. Nope, solar on every roof top.

[DavidDvorkin]

5. That would be much better, I agree

I wonder whether the response would be sufficient if the French government tried to push that.

Another factor in all of this is the amount of sunshine in North Africa vs. much of France.

[tabatha]

6. France gets a lot of sunshine in summer.

Don't know about the winter comparison.

[DavidDvorkin]

7. The northern parts are quite far north, however

So the hours of sunlight per day are limited in the winter, and the angle of the sun is low much of the time. That's not favorable for solar energy.

[kristopher]

8. Define "favorable".

Perhaps a better word choice would be optimum, no?

The real issue is economic, not functionality.

ETA: I agree that underseas cables aren't an issue. Not tapping into the solar resources of N. Africa would be a terrific mistake.

[DavidDvorkin]

9. Yes, economic

Payback time. That will improve as solar arrays become cheaper to manufacture and install, need replacement less often, and achieve greater efficiency. At this point, I think it's still the case that the numbers aren't yet good enough to appeal to customers living at higher latitudes.

[hunter]

4. Power lines run both ways...

Here in the United States when they say it's about solar or wind, it's never about solar or wind.

[Statistical]

10. I guess I wasn't the only one who thought that was strange.

France currently EXPORTS power and is building 2 new giant (1600MW) reactors. Yet they are going to use this cable to import power from North Africa from some non-existent solar plants?

Or once it is built will they export power to North Africa?

[Dogmudgeon]

11. This is part of the "ginormous" Desertec program

The idea is to build enough concentrating solar thermal, PV, and wind parks across Northern Africa to provide Europe (and probably also the Levant) with 15% of its electricity at a cost of EUR400. A "smart grid" would also be required at an additional cost. The final plan is due in 2012 and construction should begin soon thereafter.

It's an interesting plan. I suppose that African nations would be permitted some buy-in rights for their own use, too. And if it fails, it is possible that the power lines could be used to electrify North Africa. I am becoming enamored of the idea of "greening" the world's deserts as a means to sink CO2, and such an energy pipeline would be helpful in the Sahara part of the plan even if the power generation part of it fails.

There's a http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desertec">Wikipedia page on Desertec that outlines the basics and gives some links (as always, Wikipedia can not be considered authoritative, but it is a good starting point).

However, Desertec has attracted criticism, too -- that it's too expensive overall, its price tag will inflate dramatically, it ties up too much capital, it requires massive state involvement, it will victimize indigenous peoples, and it is vulnerable to terrorist attacks, et cetera.

Sound familiar?

--d!