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A Bright Future for Solar Power in the Middle East

But why should they? Solar energy is cheaper and faster to implement.
Which solar energy are you speaking of?

It's a renewable resource that's available 24/7/365, unlike one that is only available during daylight hours.
Geothermal is not cheap... and you need quite huge "Knowledge"... to operate it and a lot of guy is needed...

The best renewable energy is the solar one with mirrors... you'll get Energy AND desalination...
 
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No mention of Morocco's massive solar energy complex?

Noor 1
Ouarzazate Solar Power Station (OSPS) – Phase 1, also referred to as Noor 1 CSP, has an installed capacity of 160 MW. It was connected to the Moroccan power grid on 5 February 2016. It covers 450 hectares (1,112 acres) and is expected to deliver 370 GWh per year. The plant is a parabolic trough type with a molten salt storage for 3 hours of low-light producing capacity.

The cost of the project when it began operations was $3.9 billion. It uses half a million mirrors.

The design uses wet cooling and the need to regularly clean the reflectors means that the water use is high – 1.7 million m3 per year or 4.6 liters per kWh. Water usage is more than double the water usage of a wet-cooled coal power station and 23x the water use per kWh of a dry-cooled coal power station, though life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of solar thermal plants show that generating comparable energy from coal typically releases around 20 times more carbon dioxide than renewable sources.

The electricity was to be sold at $0.19 /kWh.
160205152317-noor-complex-ouarzazate-desert-super-169.jpg


That is half a million of these parabolic mirrors

8872015-14052983.jpg




Noor 2
Noor 2 CSP is being built as the second part of the Ouarzazate Solar Power Station. It will be a 200 MW CSP solar project using parabolic trough and with 7 hours energy storage.[15] It covers an area of 680 hectares (1,680 acres) and is expected to supply 600 GWh per year. Construction started in February 2016 and is expected to be complete by end of 2017.

It will use a dry cooling system to decrease water use.


Noor 3
Noor 3 on the right and Noor 2 on the left.


170323033947992525.jpg

Noor 3 CSP is being built as the third part of the Ouarzazate Solar Power Station. It will be a 150 MW (gross) CSP solar project using a solar power tower with 8 hours energy storage.[18] It covers an area of 750 hectares (1,853 acres) and it is expected to supply 500 GWh per year.[16] It will use a dry cooling system to decrease water use.[17]
The 225-meter tall solar tower
nW4sK8k.jpg


CwrHFqHXEAE_4TA.jpg:medium


Noor 4
Noor 4 will be an 80 MW Photovoltaic power station.


All of the stages from space:
CwqJ9X4WEAAJg1Y.jpg
 
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Great thread.

Here is a quite old and large thread about solar energy in KSA.

https://defence.pk/pdf/threads/ksa-taps-the-sun-to-meet-a-third-of-its-energy-needs.310345/

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Saudi Arabians Could Export Solar for the Next Twenty Centuries


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Every square meter of Saudi Arabia produces an extraordinary 7 kilowatt hours of energy daily in each 12 hours of sun power. If the Saudis were to use up each days solar energy supply, or 12,425 TWh of electricity, it would be a 72 year supply.

Put another way, in just one day, enough solar energy hits Saudi sands to power the kingdom for 72 years, according to a study made by the World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology.

That is an extraordinary resource. It is significantly more than the rest of the world. For example: as a Californian who used a typical 15 kilowatt hours of energy a day, this means my entire home could have been fully solar powered by just 2 square meters – or about 3 feet by 6 feet – of solar panels in Saudi Arabia!

And Saudi Arabia has over 2 trillion square meters able to produce 14 trillion kilowatt hours of solar energy every sunny day – that is enough to power the world.

But of course, no country wants to be entirely devoted to energy production, least of all one that is still making good money from digging up oil, but it is indicative of the kind of money the Kingdom could be earning from solar exports rather than oil exports.

Just as it earns its vast income from oil now, it could equally well earn a similarly vast income from solar in the future. And for vast eons of time.

Transitioning to solar from oil would take an initial investment in the infrastructure, and then would yield an income stream regardless of fuel depletion, because solar is there for the long run, unlike the oil which is getting harder and harder to get out of the ground.

But it is Saudi Arabia itself which is in the best position in the world to make that transition and invest in a replacement for oil. With oil prices at $102 a barrel at today’s market price, the Saudis have over $30 trillion in underground assets.

With that much money in huge (but depleting) assets in petroleum and natural gas reserves, now is the time that Saudi Arabia should invest and become the world’s largest producer of green solar energy.

Saudi Arabia could export solar for centuries either as electricity into the Desertec grid, or as hydrogen fuel, using its tankers and pipelines.

Desertec, which will be shipping billions of kilowatt hours of desert solar energy across to Europe in the near future is becoming a reality in more MENA region nations with the addition of Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt, but the Saudis are not members of the visionary project.


Eve
n though; unlike its poorer neighbors, it has tremendous financial assets – enough to become a leader in the project along with the giant German energy companies RWE and E.On – because it could self-fund its own Desertec infrastructure investment.

With over 250 hours of sunshine each month, Saudi Arabia is ideally located to make the most of solar power.

It even has the infrastructure already in place to be a leader in the solar-powered hydrogen economy of the future. Increasingly hydrogen researchers are turning to sustainable long term sources – wind or solar – for hydrogen production.

Solar powered hydrogen could be transported in the same pipeline and tanker infrastructure that now moves our climate-destroying oil energy around the world.

Saudi Aramco – 100% owned by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – through its affiliate, Vela Marine International Ltd, owns and operates the world’s second largest tanker fleet to help transport its crude oil production, which amounted to 3 billion barrels a year. It is a world leader in exploration, producing, refining, distribution, shipping and marketing.

Most of this infrastructure and expertise could be repurposed to transform Saudi Arabia into a solar hydrogen economy.

This infrastructure could be re-engineered to become a gigantic carrier fleet for hydrogen made with sustainable solar energy and shipped worldwide. New solar infrastructure could be added, as it has begun to do in making polysilicon from its sand.

It is Saudi Arabia that holds the key, with its unique combination of natural and financial resources, to creating a huge long-term future for the world that is based on a sustainable permanent source of energy: our sun.

- See more at: Saudis Could Export Solar for the Next Twenty Centuries | Green Prophet

WFES 2017: Saudi Arabia announces new energy master plan

Speaking yesterday at an Abu Dhabi’s Sustainability Week (ADSW) event, Saudi Arabia’s energy, industry and mineral resources minister Khalid Al-Falih announced a new grand energy plan for the country.

JANUARY 17, 2017 ILIAS TSAGAS

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The new program is set to commence in a few weeks’ time, when Saudi Arabia’s government will launch the first round of bidding for a new renewable energy tender, Al-Falih announced at the World Future Energy Summit 2017 (WFES) in Abu Dhabi. The energy minister did not, however, provide any details regarding the capacity that will be auctioned in the tender.

He did inform the attendants that Saudi Arabia’s new master program for the energy sector will require between USD 30 to 50 billion investment, which will need to come via the private sector.

Solar and wind power will be the preferred technologies in the auctions, but geothermal and waste projects will also be considered, just with a smaller role to play.

Saudi Arabia, OPEC’s biggest oil producer, is aiming for renewable energy installations, primarily of solar and wind, of 9.5 GW by 2023, but this is just the starting point, the country’s energy minister told the ADSW.

By 2030, the country will generate 70 percent of its electricity from natural gas and 30 percent from renewables and other sources, promised Al-Falih.

“Other resources” include nuclear power plants, of which plans for two nuclear reactors totaling 2.8 GW are currently in the early stages of consideration and planning.

Nevertheless, the new program that Al-Falih referred to yesterday, stems from last year’s Vision 2030 strategy, which is aimed at preparing the country for a post-oil economy.

The IMF recently cut its growth forecast for Saudi Arabia, with new estimates expecting that its GDP will only rise by 0.4% this year, down from 4% GDP growth that was predicted in October.

New regulatory framework: when?

Speaking today in front of a panel at the WFES, being held this week in Abu Dhabi as part of the city’s sustainability week, Osama Khawandanah, senior vice president of energy trading and ventures at the Saudi Electricity Company (SEC) said that the future renewable and conventional power plants will be based on independent power purchase (IPP) contracts and that this is a huge opportunity for the private sector to get involved.

Khawandanah was not able to answer whether the new program will include a feed-in tariff for renewable energy plants, after a member of the audience aimed the question at him. However, he said that SEC will commit to buying all generated electricity from the new renewable energy plants.

So, is there any means for optimism over the potential renewable energy sector on the horizon?

Thamer Al-Sharhan, managing director of ACWA, the country’s leading renewable energy developer, told the WFES that he has heard a number of promising plans over the last six years that didn’t materialize, but this time he has genuine optimism.

He told the panel that for the new plan to succeed, the country needs a clear, fair and transparent regulatory framework that promotes competition among private stakeholders. The private sector always allocates and measures the market risks and eventually comes up with practical solutions. But if the policy framework is not fair, it is very hard for an investor to find a solution. Al-Sharman urged the government to regulate a framework that allows the energy market to evolve from its current monopolistic character.

Other panelists chose to stress the renewable energy development opportunities in Saudi Arabia, and elsewhere in the Middle East, by highlighting projects located in water desalination plants. This idea has been mentioned a number of times at the summit in Abu Dhabi.

PV power for peak times

“Saudi Arabia has made its highest level commitment to renewables with its Vision 2030 strategy,” First Solar’s vice president of business development for the Middle East, Raed Bkayrat, told pv magazine. “We already see developments in the market, with the ongoing tender to procure 100 MW of solar.”

Speaking more specifically, Bkayrat added that there is definitely “potential for Saudi Arabia to tap into solar energy more extensively in order to address its Peak Load requirements.”

https://www.pv-magazine.com/2017/01/17/wfes-2017-saudi-arabia-announces-new-energy-master-plan/

By Bloomberg New Energy Finance on 22 February 2017


Source: Trade Arabia

Saudi Arabia is inviting bidders to qualify for its first renewable energy tender by 20 March. The world’s top crude exporter is laying the groundwork for a rollout of wind and solar power, which will allow it to reduce the amount of oil used domestically and, it hopes, will stimulate economic development in clean energy.

The selected parties will be announced by 10 April and will be able to present their offers for the projects from 17 April to the end of July, according to a statement by the energy ministry. As much as 700MW of wind and solar power will be available in this tender – the first stage of Saudi Arabia’s plan to develop almost 10GW of renewable energy by 2023.

Auctions were also trending in the news in India, after a World Bank-backed auction on 10 February produced a record low bid of 3.30 rupees (5 US cents) a kilowatt-hour for solar PV. The auction for 750MW of power in Madhya Pradesh state included payment guarantees, annual tariff increases and power purchase agreements designed by the International Finance Corporation. All of which helped boost confidence in the projects for developers.

The lower electricity tariffs produced by India’s auction will be attractive to the country’s indebted state-run power retailers, and could help them improve their finances, according to BNEF.

The trend for allocating renewable energy capacity through competitive auctions may spur developers to scale up the size of projects in key European markets, according to state lender Norddeutsche Landesbank Girozentrale. In an effort to meet the low tariffs demanded of auction winners, developers and financiers may seek to save on maintenance and grid-connection costs by building bigger wind parks, according to a NordLB spokesman.

These tactics may be in evidence in Germany’s auctions for 2.8GW of onshore wind capacity this year, and France’s plans to put 3GW of capacity under the hammer by 2019.

In other wind industry news, Siemens announced that it would close a wind turbine factory in Denmark last week, eliminating 430 jobs in the process. The factory in Engesvang produces smaller turbine blades and hasn’t been able to meet the growing demand for larger blades, including those needed for offshore wind farms.

Canadian utility Enbridge is joining up with Germany’s Energie Baden-Wuerttemberg on a EUR 1.8bn ($1.9bn) wind farm under construction in the German North Sea, according to a statement last Friday. EnBW is selling a 49.9% stake in the 497MW Hohe See wind farm to the Calgary-based firm, and the two companies will work on the project together. It is expected to start operations in August 2019.

In other news, climate change could trigger resource and border conflicts and in the worst cases precipitate war, according to top European and United Nations officials who spoke about the military threat of global warming at a world security conference in Munich last weekend.

“Climate change is a threat multiplier that leads to social upheaval and possibly even armed conflict,” the UN’s top climate official, Patricia Espinosa Cantellano, said at the conference. Climate change and population growth were named as the two most serious “megatrends” threatening international peace and stability by Secretary General Antonio Guterres.

The delicate balance between protecting the Arctic and extracting fossil fuels was discussed at the event, as was the economic threat posed by European renewable energy to Russia’s oil and gas supply.

The question of whether President Donald Trump pulls the US out of the Paris climate accord was also discussed. “The response of the international community will be significant,” in the ultimate decision of whether or not the agreement is abandoned by the US, said US Democratic Senator Sheldon Whitehouse.

If no action is taken to tackle global warming, as much as 70% of Alpine snow could disappear by the end of the century, according to new research by the European Geosciences Union. The paper, which used three-dimensional modelling to understand the effects of global warming on mountain snow coverage, said that the Alps would lose about 30% of snow cover by 2100 even if countries limit temperature increases to below 2 degrees Celsius. So it might be time to grab your skis and hit the slopes while you still can.

Source: BNEF. Reproduced with permission.

http://reneweconomy.com.au/saudi-arabia-makes-first-steps-10gw-renewable-energy-rollout-19679/

Why Saudi Arabia's $50bn renewable energy programme is credible

The plan will set new benchmarks in competitiveness, commercial attractiveness and execution.


By Ahmed S. Nada
Sunday, 26 February 2017 2:20 PM


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Spotlight the kingdom first announced plans in 2012 for solar power to account for up to 23 percent of its energy mix but it now says 14 percent.



When the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Renewable Energy Project Development Office (REPDO) released its request for qualification (RFQ) for 700 megawatts (MW) of solar and wind energy generation assets last week, there was a collective scramble by the renewable energy industry to examine its contents.

This was, after all, the much-anticipated launch of the kingdom’s planned 9.5-gigawatt (GW) renewable energy program, one of the largest opportunities available to the industry today.

On the day that the RFQ was released, His Excellency Khalid A. Al Falih, Saudi Arabia’s Minister of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources, reiterated his goal to make the program “the most attractive, competitive, and well-executed” of its kind in the world.

What’s more, is that his comments were backed by an RFQ that is clearly designed to ensure that only the industry’s most financially and technologically credible players make it to the next stage in the procurement process.



For those of us in the renewable energy business who have consistently engaged with numerous stakeholders in the kingdom over the past few years, this was a welcome assurance from the highest levels of government.

It was also apparent that Saudi Arabia, with the support of its advisors, is making a concerted effort to avoid the pitfalls that other fast-emerging markets have had to endure when rapidly ramping up their renewable energy portfolios.

For instance, by putting in place stringent pre-qualification criteria, the kingdom is, in effect, avoiding the risk associated with inadvertently including inexperienced, unqualified bidders in the procurement process.

Critically, there are indications that the later stages of the process will mandate that bidders source their technology from bankable, top-tier suppliers that have the financial strength to stand behind their performance guarantees and product warranties.

At a time when the stability of a number of photovoltaic (PV) module manufacturers is being called into question, this will, once again, lower risks while boosting the financial credibility of the assets being added to the programme.

There is other evidence that the kingdom is effectively managing risk, the size of the tender being the most apparent one. While REPDO could just as easily have tendered larger projects, it has prudently chosen project sizes that allow for important learnings to be carried forward through the remaining phases of the programme, while also sufficiently benefiting from the economies of scale.

It has also underpinned the programme’s success by funneling it through a single department — REPDO is an office of the Saudi Ministry of Energy, Industry and Mineral Resources — rather than the previous approach of giving numerous stakeholders the task of executing.

It is clear that the tender for 300MW–700MW of solar PV and 400MW of wind is just the beginning, with immediate plans to rapidly scale the kingdom’s renewable energy portfolio to just over one-third of the 9.5GW target.

Our hope is that, in order to supplement the focus on utility-scale power generation, Saudi Arabia will also take a closer look at tapping into the potential for large commercial and industrial (C&I) solar applications. An evolutionary step towards Saudi Arabia’s renewable energy goals would be the implementation of ‘wheeling’ policies that will allow independent power producers that own renewable energy assets to supply clean electricity to their customers using the state-owned grid.

Hypothetically speaking, in such a scenario a privately-owned solar power plant could sign a commercial Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with a petrochemical processing facility or a large dairy farm located 100 kilometres away. The solar power plant will supply electricity to the national grid, offsetting the conventionally generated energy consumed by the petrochemical facility or farm, while the grid operator benefits financially from a wheeling fee.

If structured well, such a program could provide the incentive needed to remove energy subsidies for certain industries, while allowing them to benefit from the new economic realities of solar electricity.

Mature renewable markets that have successfully initiated their own energy transitions will testify to the fact that a multi-pronged approach is needed to deliver on targets and to do so cost-effectively; in a majority of instances, a multi-pronged strategy includes utility-scale, small-scale residential, and C&I-focused programs.

It is now evident that Saudi Arabia has a credible renewable energy program that is designed to ensure that the country builds up a reliable, cost-competitive portfolio of world-class power generation assets. It has achieved this at its own pace, undeterred by the naysayers and speculators, and there is no doubt in my mind that its success will be underpinned by a determination to achieve its well-defined goals, but also to set new benchmarks in terms of competitiveness, commercial attractiveness and execution.

http://www.arabianbusiness.com/why-...able-energy-programme-is-credible-664655.html

No mention of Morocco's massive solar energy complex?

Noor 1
Ouarzazate Solar Power Station (OSPS) – Phase 1, also referred to as Noor 1 CSP, has an installed capacity of 160 MW. It was connected to the Moroccan power grid on 5 February 2016. It covers 450 hectares (1,112 acres) and is expected to deliver 370 GWh per year. The plant is a parabolic trough type with a molten salt storage for 3 hours of low-light producing capacity.

The cost of the project when it began operations was $3.9 billion. It uses half a million mirrors.

The design uses wet cooling and the need to regularly clean the reflectors means that the water use is high – 1.7 million m3 per year or 4.6 liters per kWh. Water usage is more than double the water usage of a wet-cooled coal power station and 23x the water use per kWh of a dry-cooled coal power station, though life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions of solar thermal plants show that generating comparable energy from coal typically releases around 20 times more carbon dioxide than renewable sources.

The electricity was to be sold at $0.19 /kWh.
160205152317-noor-complex-ouarzazate-desert-super-169.jpg


That is half a million of these parabolic mirrors

8872015-14052983.jpg




Noor 2
Noor 2 CSP is being built as the second part of the Ouarzazate Solar Power Station. It will be a 200 MW CSP solar project using parabolic trough and with 7 hours energy storage.[15] It covers an area of 680 hectares (1,680 acres) and is expected to supply 600 GWh per year. Construction started in February 2016 and is expected to be complete by end of 2017.

It will use a dry cooling system to decrease water use.


Noor 3
Noor 3 on the right and Noor 2 on the left.


170323033947992525.jpg

Noor 3 CSP is being built as the third part of the Ouarzazate Solar Power Station. It will be a 150 MW (gross) CSP solar project using a solar power tower with 8 hours energy storage.[18] It covers an area of 750 hectares (1,853 acres) and it is expected to supply 500 GWh per year.[16] It will use a dry cooling system to decrease water use.[17]
The 225-meter tall solar tower
nW4sK8k.jpg


CwrHFqHXEAE_4TA.jpg:medium


Noor 4
Noor 4 will be an 80 MW Photovoltaic power station.


All of the stages from space:
CwqJ9X4WEAAJg1Y.jpg

Moroccan Solar agency settles on China, Saudi Arabia for major solar project

Nov 17, 2016


Moroccan Solar agency (MASEN) has chosen Saudi Arabian power engineering companyACWA Power and China’s Chint group to establish three solar plants with a joint capacity of 170MW as part of the NOOR PV I project in Morocco.

This is the first solar PV phase of the NOOR Solar Plan, which has already seen three major concentrated solar power (CSP) projects in Quarzazate

With ACWA Power leading and Chint delivering technical support, the two companies will design, finance, build, manage, and maintain the NOOR PV I program, having been chosen through an international call for bids.

MASEN said the tariff will be placed at US$0.046.

Also read:Europe Union to fund mega solar plant in Morocco

ACWA Power has won a variety of capacities in the Middle East over the past 18 months mostly with world –beating solar tariffs.

MASEN also signed contracts with KfW bank for US $64 M to aid funding the project. The three projects will also be funded by the first green bonds in Morocco, set to be issued by MASEN for a figure of US $ 114 M and countersigned by Al Barid Bank, Attijariwafa Bank, the SCR, and the CMR.

The three intended PV plants include:

  • NOOR Ouarzazate IV, 70MW
  • NOOR Laayoune, 80MW
  • NOOR Boujdour, 20MW
MASEN president Mustapha Bakkoury said: “With these three solar plants, MASEN goes on to enlarge its portfolio of multi-technology projects, constantly with the aim of taking action in the best means possible to the needs of our client and partner, ONEE (the National Agency for Electricity and Drinking Water).

This is also the consolidation of long-standing partnerships, both with the KfW, which is funding the fourth and final phase of the Ouarzazate complex, and with ACWA Power, and it reassures us that we will develop projects meeting international standards at Ouarzazate, Laayoune, and Boujdour.”

All projects are estimated to be done by 2019. They are part of the nation’s wider Solar Energy Programme which has an motivated goal of attaining 2GW of solar energy capacity by 2020.

ACWA Power currently launched a new division that will compile its present renewable-energy portfolio

https://constructionreviewonline.co...n-china-saudi-arabia-for-major-solar-project/

All the best to our brothers and sisters in Morocco. Hopefully this will make Morocco more independent in terms of energy. Yes, I am looking at you Djazair!
 
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Geothermal is not cheap... and you need quite huge "Knowledge"... to operate it and a lot of guy is needed...

The best renewable energy is the solar one with mirrors... you'll get Energy AND desalination...

Tough to claim it's just the "best." It's great, but there's always pluses and minuses to everything, for example that Moroccan project was $3.7 billion so it's not cheap, either. Plus all the mirrors need to be constantly cleaned so water usage is very high and labor intensive including maintenance. Pros and cons to everything.
 
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It's a renewable resource that's available 24/7/365, unlike one that is only available during daylight hours.

Right, that's the only good reason to invest in G
It's a renewable resource that's available 24/7/365, unlike one that is only available during daylight hours.

You still need a certain amount of water otherwise it simply does not work.

Dry steam station
300px-Diagram_VaporDominatedGeothermal_inturperated_version.svg.png



Solar power is the best source of energy for many ME countries.
 
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Jordan’s Azraq refugee camp becomes first to run entirely on solar energy
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UNHCR hails development as 'a milestone' for 36,000 Syrians living in desert camp

A refugee camp in Jordan has become the first in the world to be powered by renewable energy.

About 20,000 Syrian refugees living in the desert camp of Azraq will be able to use electricity generated by a solar plant.

The new $9.6m (£7.49m) two-megawatt solar plant was built by the Ikea Foundation’s Brighter Lives for Refugees campaign and is expected to save $1.5m (£1.15m) a year, which the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees will be able to use to improve sanitation, shelters and organise activities around the camp.

“Today marks a milestone,” said Kelly T Clements, UNHCR Deputy High Commissioner.

“Lighting up the camp is not only a symbolic achievement; it provides a safer environmentfor all camp residents, opens up livelihoods opportunities, and gives children the chance to study after dark. Above all, it allows all residents of the camps to lead more dignified lives," he said.

Mr Clements praised the plant as “a remarkable example of cooperation” between the government of Jordan, private solar company Mustakbal and UNHCR.

The clean energy is due to be expanded to the 36,000 refugees living in the camp in Jordan’s barren northern desert by early next year.

For the past two and a half years, refugees living in Azraq were reliant on portable solar lanterns to light their homes and had no means of preserving food or cooling their shelters in the extreme desert heat.

Electricity was first introduced in January and changed the way of life in the camp.

Fatima, a 52-year-old single mother from rural Damascus, who has lived in the camp since 2015 with her two adult sons, said electricity in the camp had enabled her family to preserve leftover food, have a cold glass of water and continue daily activities after sunset.

“In Syria we were used to a particular lifestyle, and then we were disconnected from it when we became refugees. For someone who is used to having electricity, you cannot imagine how difficult it is to live without it,” she said.

More than 50 refugees from the camp also benefited from training and were employed under the supervision of Jordanian solar company Mustakbal to help build the plant.

Mohammad, 20, from the Damascus suburb of Ghouta, was one of those who worked to build the frames that support the solar panels and installed the plant’s electrical circuits.

Now he hopes his new skills will enable him to help rebuild Syria after the war.

He said: “I wasn’t able to finish my education because of the war and then exile, but this has given me a practical skill that I can hopefully use in the future.

“If we return to Syria, the infrastructure is all destroyed, but this is a technology that we could use to rebuild.”

Azraq’s solar plant is connected to Jordan’s national grid and the surplus electricity will be sent back for local communities to use for free.

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How the Middle East is going green
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Each year Lloyd’s Register conducts its award-winning Technology Radar research, taking a global look at technology and its advancements across many different industries. The company is a technical and business services organisation, wholly owned by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation which is dedicated to research and education in science and engineering. Having begun as a humble marine classification society in 1760, the company now boasts around 8,000 employees across 78 nations, and is well known for its high levels of technical excellence.

Lloyd’s Register’s Technology Radar research has previously focussed on the oil and gas sector, and more recently the low carbon sector, including nuclear energy, renewable energy, energy storage, and infrastructure. These are industries which have expanded enormously in recent years, competing strongly with fossil fuels, and technological developments have sped up in response to create some serious breakthroughs.

Solar power especially has become sophisticated and efficient enough in recent years to compete with fossil fuel, the Technology Radar has found, and solar cells are having an extraordinary impact on the world of green energy. Current projects in the sector include the future commercialisation of a photothermal process which turns heat as well as light into electricity, a compound of perovskites that can be painted or sprayed onto surfaces and is cheaper than commercial silicon crystals, and research by MIT last year that proves solar thermophotovoltaics could outstrip traditional maximum efficiency of solar cells.

One area which has developed particularly rapidly in recent years, thus becoming a great interest for Lloyd’s Register, is solar energy in the Middle East: a region not so well known for its green credentials, yet one which is swiftly catching up and making its own mark in the world of renewable energy. Energy Digital speaks to Karl Ove Ingebrigsten, Director of Low Carbon Power Generation Division at Lloyd’s Register, about the Middle East’s contribution to solar and the Technology Radar’s findings.

“The report shows that industry experts are optimistic about the pace of innovation in the low carbon space, and it reveals which technologies will have the most impact on the sector,” says Ingebrigsten. “600 professionals across the low carbon industry contributed their opinions and insight into the report, rating a number of technologies in terms of their potential impact, the time it would take for these technologies to hit the market, and how likely they are to be adopted.

“Countries that have embraced renewable energy have seen the rewards. Investment grows, jobs grow, and there are economy benefits across the board; the Middle East is no exception. Technological developments are indeed making a low carbon future increasingly viable, and driving down the cost of technology development and deployment is a key factor borne out of the Technology Radar Low Carbon survey. Developmental costs are still seen as the main barrier to low carbon generation; the Middle East is the region least likely to consider cost a significant barrier. Instead, respondents cite stringent regulations as the leading obstacle.”

Still, solar energy is the most significant focus for renewable energy in the Middle East. Why? In Ingebrigsten’s words “the sun never stops shining in the Middle East,” but the region’s optimism for this particular renewable goes beyond that: “An important realisation has emerged: the region is coming to terms with the impact of the ongoing low oil prices, issues in the wider MENA region, and growing concern with global investors. The shift in sentiment towards renewables is led by the government’s approach to accelerating regulatory policy. With Doha emerging as the 12th most polluted city in World Health Organisation’s ranking for 2013, sustainability has been at the forefront of all ongoing construction projects. Qatar has set initiatives in place to reduce its carbon footprint and enhance energy delivery by increasing the number of renewable energy schemes.”

The UAE aims to have 30 percent of its power generation coming from renewable sources by 2030, with Kuwait and Qatar aiming for 15 and 20 respectively. Increased focus on green R&D in the region means progress has happened at an astonishing rate, one of the best examples being Oman’s Miraah project. It is set to be one of the world’s largest solar plants, saving 300,000 tons of emissions per year – the equivalent of removing 63,000 cars from the road. The majority of participants at a Lloyd’s Register briefing last November in Abu Dhabi agreed that the growth of this low-carbon market is no threat to the hydrocarbons business, which will still be a primary source of energy for five decades; rather, renewables open gateways for hydrocarbon producers, expanding the region’s energy portfolio and R&D capabilities.

The GCC, a region with one of the world’s highest rates of pollution, has repeatedly solidified its status as an environmental ally, and does not take its aims lightly. “With 2020 rapidly approaching, those countries with percent targets are now looking to review their position, and determine relevant policy focussed on achieving targets set in Paris with longer term goals,” says Ingebrigsten. “The Middle East would benefit from an integrated energy policy, which would provide signposts to guide all the stakeholders towards a low carbon future. The adoption of new technologies to help define a low carbon future with widespread and cost effective implementation is the next step in helping the region realise this vision.”

Ingebrigsten concludes: “The Technology Radar report acknowledges there is a considerable level of multilateral cooperation and collaboration already happening in the region – this has created a strong and united movement to see positive change. The findings in the report will also enable the industry to assess best practice and key stakeholders’ approach to sustainability, and to encourage ever-greater innovation in the region. It lies at the heart of what Lloyd’s Register believes to be essential for the future health of the Middle East energy industry, as the implementation of new technology has safety implications which are fundamentally a driver for the industry’s future.”

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Egypt looks to the future with renewable energy plan


Egypt plans to produce 20% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2022.

Middle East Online
By Ahmed Meghid - CAIRO


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Wind turbines on the Zafarana Wind Farm, near Ain Sokhna port in Suez

The vista in the central province of Minya is as empty as far as the eye can see except for rows and rows of solar panels and the blue sky above.

The panels are helping Amr al- Saad’s 8-month-old power station address the worsening issue of brownouts and blackouts in the area.

“A few years ago, power supply was intermittent, which made the life of the residents of the province very tough,” he said. “That is why I decided to establish my project where it is most needed.”

After generating electricity, Saad’s station feeds it into the national grid where it is used to power houses, farms and workshops in Minya’s villages.

Saad’s project, which cost $100,000 and produces 650 kilowatts of electricity each month, is part of a national drive to reduce Egypt’s dependence on fossil fuels by shifting to renewable energy. Egypt plans to produce 20% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2022 and 37% by 2035. It is an ambitious plan given that just 3% of electricity produced annually in Egypt today is from renewable sources.

The Egyptian government is investing billions of dollars into new renewable energy projects and looking to establish wind farms and solar power plants in around the country.

Several projects are slated for the Western Desert, on the northern coast and near the Suez Canal, where tens of thousands of wind turbines and solar panels dot the once-empty desert.

“Utilising renewable energy is part of a national plan to diversify electricity generation sources to meet growing demand and secure the continuity of the electricity supply,” said Ayman Hamza, spokesman for the Ministry of Electricity. “Egypt has a great, untapped potential to turn into an international renewable energy hub.”

Egypt’s climate gives it massive wind and solar energy potential. The North African country experiences high sunshine duration of from 3,300 hours a year in the north to 4,000 hours in the interior. Egypt’s coastal zones have high wind energy potential, particularly along the Red Sea coast, which experiences average wind speeds of 7-12 metres per second.

“Exploiting renewable energy isn’t a matter of choice for this country,” said renewable energy expert Wael el-Nashar. “Fossil fuels will start running out in a matter of a decade or two, which means that we should start dependence on renewable sources today, not tomorrow.”

Egypt is part of the “sun belt”, which includes the rest of North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, Nashar said. This geographic position means Egypt can become a major solar energy producer.

Renewable energy projects are getting state support, easy and long-term loans from banks and a long list of clients, including government agencies, ready to buy the electricity produced.

The government is considering a mechanism to allow the feed-in tariff (the price of electricity fed into the national grid) to rise when the price of electricity produced from fossil fuel rises. The Electricity Ministry said the aim would be to ensure that renewable energy producers can profit from their projects.

Nine government agencies have signed contracts to buy electricity produced by renewable energy plants in different parts of the country.

Incentives in Egypt’s new renewable energy law seek to attract investors, Hamza said.

“One of the incentives is that the government is committed to buying all the electricity produced by renewable energy plants,” Hamza said. “Apart from free plots of land and free infrastructure, the feed-in tariff ensures that investors make enough profits to keep their projects running and ensure expansion.”

The same feed-in tariff is also drawing in a growing number of ordinary Egyptians to participate in the renewable energy field. Some of those living in Cairo and other urban areas are installing solar power plants on their rooftops, producing enough electricity to power their homes. Some sell surpluses of electricity to the national grid.

Saad said he expects to recoup half of his initial investment in his power station in Minya in about four months.

“This means that I will collect my investments in a matter of two years,” Saad said. “This continuous flow of cash will help me expand my project in the future.”

Ahmed Meghid is an Egyptian reporter based in Cairo.

http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=83155

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Bright forecast ahead for solar energy?

Solar costs continue to fall, recently hitting less than 3 cents/kWh in some parts of the world. But the scaling back of incentives and constraints of the existing electricity infrastructure could hinder future expansion

While photovoltaic (PV) solar power only generated about 1% of the total electricity produced globally in 2015, it represented about 20% of new capacity additions. Growth has been impressive and looks likely to continue. The International Solar Alliance has set a target of at least 3000 gigawatts (GW), or three terawatts (TW) of additional solar power capacity by 2030, up from the current installed capacity of around 300 GW.

Yet some experts believe even the most optimistic projections have under-estimated the actual deployment of PV over the last decade, and say the annual potential of solar energy far exceeds the world's energy consumption.

In mid-April, scientists from the US Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), their counterparts from similar institutes in Japan and Germany, along with academic and industry researchers, assessed the recent trajectory of PV and outlined a potential worldwide pathway to produce a significant portion of the world's electricity from solar power. In a new science paper—Terawatt-Scale Photovoltaics: Trajectories and Challenges, published by the Global Alliance of Solar Energy Research Institutes (GA-SRI)—they said 5-10 TW of PV capacity by 2030 is realistic.

Solar threats
While solar has a bright future, there are several threats to its development and a number of challenges to overcome if it is ever to reach its full deployment potential.

The World Energy Council launched its World Energy Resource (WER) study last year. Stating some findings in the specific report on solar, it noted that government incentives for the sector are being gradually scaled back in mature markets, and that there is a need for a new electricity market design and novel methods of project financing in the absence of government support.

Zulandi Van der Westhuizen, Director of Scenarios & Resources at the World Energy Council, says that the impact of reduced government incentives was most evident in markets in Europe and some states in the US.

"The scaling back started several years ago in countries like Spain, Italy, the UK and Germany, with some reducing incentives and others cutting subsidies and government spending," she says.

While this is a positive signal, since it shows that solar is capable of standing on its own feet, at the same time it discourages investment. According to REN21, a group of government and industry organisations that tracks the industry, investment in renewable energy (wind and solar) in Europe fell from $120.7 bn in 2011 to $57.5 billion in 2014.

"There was about a 65% reduction in government incentives paid to UK householders," notes Van der Westhuizen. "But the most harmful thing was the short timeframe between the announcement of the cuts and the implementation. This created market instability and sent a negative signal [to investors], especially since the nature of energy investment is long term."

Markets will consequently have to look for methods of financing that are not government-led. In mature countries, market-based models become more significant. In developing countries and rural households, things like consumer finance, leasing and energy service companies are needed.

"Institutional funding from development banks such as the IMF and World Bank has been around for a long time but will become more important as governments pull back, as will multi-lateral agencies and private finance," adds Van der Westhuizen. "But stable policy is needed to lower investment risk."

Infrastructure needed
WER Solar 2016 also stated that existing electricity infrastructure, particularly in countries with young markets, could further hinder the expansion of solar capacity.

Existing grid infrastructures have neither the capacity nor the flexibility to handle the growing influx of variable renewables such a wind and solar. Germany is a prime example, where heavy energy consuming industries in the south risk shortages since there is insufficient network capacity to transmit wind power from the north.

"Firstly, the grid cannot accommodate additional capacity or loads coming from 10 or 20 different sites at the same time, and secondly, it cannot handle the instability," explained Van der Westhuizen.

This means that in most cases, the grid has to be assessed with a view to increasing capacity and to make sure there is back-up support from sources such as gas-fired generation or pumped hydro. Notably, the drive toward greater market integration across countries in Europe will help to promote the sharing of renewable power generation by using grids more effectively.

As markets move into a new area of energy bidding, ancillary services, transmission system access and congestion management, the operation of regional interconnectors becomes crucial.

Reducing grid constraints, says Van der Westhuizen, will also enable more equitable allocation of investment between generation, networks and demand resources.

There has, however, been intense debate over who should be responsible for grid upgrades and expansion. Van der Westhuizen stresses that a way has to be found to enhance the relationship between various system operators. "With all new technologies, the regulatory framework lags behind and is a hindrance," she says.

Future outlook
The challenges that threaten the expansion of solar will mean that predicting where it will be in the next decade or so will be difficult. Certainly, growth will vary from region to region.

"The more mature markets—where subsidies and incentives are being cut and grids are constrained—will still grow but more slowly," says Van der Westhuizen. "In developing countries, we might see more utility-scale and bigger projects. Public and new buildings will definitely be growth sectors. Also a lot of big companies are going off-grid, so the market can't do anything else but grow."

With many of these off-grid solutions being linked to storage, the rate of solar deployment will also depend on the development of battery storage.

The major opportunities will be in Africa, China, India, parts of Latin America and of course the Middle East. Regarding the Middle East, Van der Westhuizen says: "They have everything that's needed, and now they also have the appetite for it."

The technology that is expected to see most growth will continue to be PV, as opposed to concentrated solar power (CSP).

"PV will see the biggest growth, simply because it is available in so many applications," says Van der Westhuizen. "CSP is starting to come back, slowly but surely. The problem is, it needs more land space and is therefore more expensive. But the advantage is, its utility scale and, with molten salt storage, has much higher efficiencies."

Last year was a record for renewable capacity increases. The most recent data from the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena) shows that Asia saw the highest growth in solar capacity, reaching 139 GW (+50 GW). Almost half of all new solar capacity was installed in China in 2016 (+34 GW). Other countries with significant expansion included: US (+11 GW); Japan (+8 GW) and India (+4 GW). Capacity in Europe expanded by 5 GW to reach 104 GW, with most increases in Germany and the UK.

No doubt solar will continue to see many more years of record growth as costs continue to fall. A project in Abu Dhabi recently bid a record low price of 2.42 cents/kWh for solar electricity. But how much lower they can go is hard to predict.

"Costs have fallen significantly over the last couple of years, mainly due to economies of scale, cheaper materials, etc. Obviously there's a limit to how much those types of costs can reduce," says Van der Westhuizen. "What we have to do now is to look at the balance of the costs-the structural system, electrical system and the 'soft costs' of system development. These include things like the cost of acquiring customers, permits, labour installation, etc. This is where costs can be cut going forward.

"There is still room for significant reduction in costs but I don't think it will be quite as exponential as the last 4-5 years."

The World Energy Resources report 24th edition covers more than 180 countries and includes 13 individual resources from fossil fuels to renewables and cross cutting technologies with data and analysis.

This article appears in the latest issue of World Energy Focus, the magazine of the World Energy Council, with content produced by Petroleum Economist. For more information and to register, visit the site worldenergyfocus.org.


http://www.petroleum-economist.com/...s/2017/bright-forecast-ahead-for-solar-energy

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Saudi solar plan ‘to create 7,000 jobs’

Ministry requires bidders seeking to build about 3.45 gigawatts of solar and wind plants by 2020 – report

solar1.jpg

Saudi Arabia’s drive to build solar-energy facilities is set to generate about 7,000 jobs by 2020, it has been reported.

The programme will bring cleaner energy and also create a local manufacturing industry that can export products to the world, Bloomberg reported.

The Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources is seeking bidders in plans to build about 3.45 gigawatts of solar and wind plants by 2020, Turki al-Shehri, head of the renewable project development office for the kingdom is quoted as saying.

“We want to create value,” Al-Shehri is reported as saying. “We don’t just want to bring in companies that open up manufacturing facilities at a very high premium, which the consumer will end up paying. We want to ensure that whatever they are opening is competitive, that it can compete globally for exports.”

The government is working on a second auction of power-purchase deals for renewable energy developers, in a move that would grant government-guaranteed contracts for up to 25 years, Bloomberg reported.

http://meconstructionnews.com/22540/saudi-solar-program-to-create-7000-jobs


MASEN (Moroccan Agency for Solar Energy) video on the different kinds of renewable energy it is involved in in Morocco.


Thanks for the video and updates.

Also :welcome: to :pdf: :partay: Avoid the Persians and Saudis if they get into a cat fight. It can get intense:lol::enjoy:

Nice to see another North African on the forum!
 
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Thanks for the video and updates.

Also :welcome: to :pdf: :partay: Avoid the Persians and Saudis if they get into a cat fight. It can get intense:lol::enjoy:

Nice to see another North African on the forum!

Thanks, buddy! I will try. :D
 
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Solar energy is great but we should also look at combating desertification which can be done.



The beautiful Wadi Rum in Southern Jordan. Home of the equally beautiful Petra.


Simple techniques and already a big difference.


Of course the climatical cycles will make the Sahara, Rub al-Khali and other deserts/scrublands green again but nevertheless it is something that should be given equally as much attention. Desertification is a significant challenge across the world from California in the west to Australia in the east. Especially given the population growth of the planet and our wastefulness which knows no boundaries.

Anyway desalination becoming cheaper and more effective can become a great help in combating this and Arab countries who border a sea/ocean (like every Arab country does if I am not wrong) is lucky in the sense that a landlocked country like Afghanistan (which suffers from decertification) is not for instance. Such opportunities and techniques must be used appropriately and hopefully science and existing technologies becoming more effective, will help enable us to evolve on this front.
 
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Solar energy is great but we should also look at combating desertification which can be done.




Of course the climatical cycles will make the Sahara, Rub al-Khali and other deserts/scrublands green again but nevertheless it is something that should be given equally as much attention. Desertification is a significant challenge across the world from California in the west to Australia in the east.


Completely agree bro! We definitely need to counteract desertification. The more green and eco friendly we get, the better for everyone. Then we can brag about it and rub it in to the Europeans:partay::D.
 
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Tough to claim it's just the "best." It's great, but there's always pluses and minuses to everything, for example that Moroccan project was $3.7 billion so it's not cheap, either. Plus all the mirrors need to be constantly cleaned so water usage is very high and labor intensive including maintenance. Pros and cons to everything.
The best, in my opinion, is Wind Energy. It is cheaper and more reliable. I wish my country focused more on it.
As for cleaning the mirrors, the process is mechanised so it is not as work intensive as you might think.
 
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What is the current (2016) installed solar power capacity in Algeria, Morocco and Egypt?

Morocco


As of 2016, the Morocco has 947MW of renewable capacity (excluding hydropower) including the recently commissioned 160MW Phase 1 of the Noor CSP Project and 787MW of wind power. With over 3,000 annual sunshine hours and an average solar radiation of 5.3kWh/m2/day, solar energy – along with wind – are the major source of alternative energy in the country.

The total wind energy potential in Morocco is estimated around 7,936TWh per year with average wind speeds ranging from 6 to 11m/s. Morocco has set itself the most ambitious plan in the North Africa region of achieving 42 per cent (approx. 6,000MW) of its total electricity demand through renewable energy technologies by 2020, which would witness commissioning of 2GW each of solar and wind power generation technologies and is anticipated to invest USD 13 billion in renewable energy technologies which would not only reduce its dependence on imported energy sources, but also reduce carbon emissions significantly.

Egypt

Egypt currently leads the North African region in terms of installed renewable energy generation capacity, with 2.8GW of hydro power and 687MW of wind and solar power. As of 2014, Egypt’s power generation portfolio was dominated by steam, combined cycle and gas based thermal systems, which account for over 90 per cent of the total installed generation capacity, while hydro (8.20 per cent) and wind plus solar (1.30 per cent) make up the remainder of the generation capacity.

With a high electricity demand growth of 6 per cent per annum, Egypt would be required to add an additional 54GW through 2022 to meet its growing electricity requirement. While it envisages doubling its installed capacity by 2020, future power generation would continue to be dominated by natural gas and coal based systems.

Unlike 2014, Egypt’s new generation mix in 2022 would comprise of gas based thermal systems (57 per cent), coal (15 per cent), hydro (3 per cent) and wind and solar contributing 25 per cent of the total generation capacity. Additional capacity to the country’s national grid is expected to entail an investment of over USD 70 billion; USD 45.7 billion of which will be public finance while USD 25 billion is anticipated to be achieved through private investment.

With an additional capacity of 11.32GW by 2020, the renewable sector in Egypt presents a potential investment opportunity worth USD 13 billion, an estimated 46 per cent (USD 6 billion) of which would be used for commissioning wind and solar PV systems by 2018. Wind energy, with an estimated 30GW development potential, is set to dominate the renewable profile of Egypt with an installed capacity of over 5.5GW as compared to solar which would account for 2.5GW in 2020.

Algeria

Algeria has an important role in global energy markets as a leading producer and exporter of natural gas and liquefied natural gas. As such, its installed generation capacity of 15.2GW is dominated by gas (>92 per cent) based systems and a peak demand of 12.5GW in 2014.

Renewable energy contribution has been limited to hydropower and solar installations (268MW of solar PV). Algeria has an enormous solar potential, which it is trying to harness through the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Programme. Electricity demand in the country has been growing at a staggering 8-10% annually, necessitating diversification of its power generation capacity to ensure sustainability of economy and the country’s electricity supply industry.

The Renewable Energy Programme seeks to add 22,000MW worth of renewable power into the national grid by 2030, of which 4,500MW is expected to be commissioned by 2020. Estimates project Algeria’s solar potential at 13.9TWh/year; however, it’s expected to add a further 13,575MW of solar PV by 2030.

Apart from solar PV systems, wind (5,010MW), concentrated solar power (2,000MW), biomass (1,000MW), CHP (400MW) and geothermal (15MW) would make up the remainder of the renewable capacity addition in 2030. The country’s solar sector will; however, struggle to meet the government’s goals as many foreign investors would prefer investments in low risk environments in Egypt and Morocco.


Tunisia

The installed generation capacity for Tunisia was recorded at 4,799MW in 2014. This capacity is set to increase to an estimated 7,500MW as the country tries to meet its growing electricity demand, increasing at a rate of between 4-5 per cent per annum.

Renewable energy technologies currently account for 6 per cent of the country’s total installed generation capacity with 245MW of wind power, 62MW of hydro power and 15MW of solar PV.

The Tunisian Solar Plan aims to boost the proportion of renewable energy in the total generation mix with renewables accounting for 30 per cent of the total electricity generated in 2030. The objective of the Tunisian government is to add 4.7GW worth of renewable energy projects by 2030, with 2,700MW of wind and 1,700MW of solar energy based projects.


http://chegepublishing.net/renewables-to-meet-electricity-demand-in-north-africa/
 
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The best, in my opinion, is Wind Energy. It is cheaper and more reliable. I wish my country focused more on it.
As for cleaning the mirrors, the process is mechanised so it is not as work intensive as you might think.

You beat me to it! :-) Although, even that has it's drawbacks as wind is generally temperamental and is a very inconsistent cycle, so production becomes very uneven. If they find ways to place them at higher altitudes where wind is much more consistent, they would also produce a more consistent rate. However, higher altitudes also means greater distances from developed areas so the transfer of that energy becomes difficult. But wind is certainly expanding very fast, but might not keep up with PV solar. Those parabolic mirrors in Morocco are amazing.
 
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