Theoretically, we could meet the current energy demands of the world by covering just 1.2% of the Sahara Desert with solar panels.
Searching for Green Energy Sources
In recent years, as the consequences of climate change have become increasingly evident, we have become more concerned about green energy sources. A source of energy that does not rely on fossil fuels and has negligible carbon emissions is essential for our long-term survival.
The desert offers an abundant supply of sunlight.
Nuclear energy could be one of the effective solutions, as it does not emit carbon. However, not all countries in the world can produce or acquire nuclear power plants, as they require significant resources and carry a high risk of nuclear accidents.
What about wind turbines? They are a clean and sustainable energy source, but the turbines can be quite noisy and may pose risks to local wildlife. Additionally, wind is not always available, making this energy source inconsistent in terms of output.
Solar power plants face similar challenges. The sun does not always shine brightly, and there are regions with weak sunlight or nearly constant cloud cover. However, in the desert, everything is different.
The desert has an abundant supply of sunlight and is an ideal location for building solar power plants. So why not cover a portion of the Sahara Desert with solar panels?
The Sahara has long been regarded as a potential energy battery for Europe.
The Key Lies in the Sahara
According to German physicist Gehrard Knies, deserts around the world receive a staggering amount of solar energy (173,000 terawatts) in just six hours, which is more than the total energy consumption of humanity for an entire year.
The Sahara Desert in Africa spans 9.2 million square kilometers. If 1.2% of the Sahara Desert—approximately 110,000 square kilometers—were covered with solar panels, it would be sufficient to meet the world’s energy needs.
Moreover, the desert experiences extremely low rainfall, minimal cloud cover, limited wildlife, and a negligible human population. These characteristics render the desert practically useless for any human benefit. Yet at this point, it could be the world’s treasure, becoming our best option for producing clean and sustainable solar energy. So who will undertake this task?
The Sahara Desert in Africa spans 9.2 million square kilometers.
For many years, solar energy projects in the Sahara have been discussed, but the solar energy potential of the Sahara remains unrealized, with only the Noor project in Morocco currently operational in the region.
Several reasons explain this, including political instability in the MENA region, which deters potential investors. Furthermore, the costs of transmission, solar panel production, and plant maintenance have discouraged investors in the past.
The Sahara has long been seen as a potential energy battery for Europe. In 2013, the €400 billion Desertec project collapsed due to issues related to feasibility, transportation, and costs.
If successful, the generated energy would be transmitted via undersea cables to Italy, Malta, and France…
In recent years, TuNur, a small company based in the UK, has submitted a proposal to the Tunisian government to begin construction on a 4.5 GW concentrated solar power (CSP) project in the Sahara Desert. If successful, the generated energy would be transmitted via undersea cables to Italy, Malta, and France, providing Europe with a new, carbon-free energy source.
Daniel Rich, the CEO of TuNur, explains: “The TuNur project is a fully integrated solar energy export project, combining solar energy generation in Tunisia with dedicated transmission links to the European power grid.”
The project will be located near Réjim Maâtoug in Kébili Province, southwestern Tunisia, where TuNur has agreed to lease land from a local tribe. In summer, temperatures here can reach 34 degrees Celsius with up to 12 hours of sunshine each day.
Once fully constructed, the project will cover an area three times larger than Manhattan. Hundreds of thousands of parabolic mirrors will be arranged to focus the blazing sunlight of the Sahara Desert onto CSP towers that rise up to 200 meters high.
Heat will be stored in molten salt running through these towers, heating water to drive turbines, while the salt can retain heat for several hours, allowing electricity to be continuously generated long after the sun has set.
Solar panels covering the Sahara Desert could be the solution to our electricity demands.
If implemented, the solar energy system in the Sahara could provide electricity for two million households in Europe. If the TuNur application is successful and the project comes to fruition, it could mark a significant step for Sahara solar energy, CSP technology, and potentially power two million households in Europe.
What if humans are greedier and want to convert even more desert area into solar power production?
Large-scale photovoltaic (PV) panels covering the Sahara Desert could be the solution to our electricity demands, but they could also cause more environmental problems. The production of solar panels is not currently environmentally friendly. The existing manufacturing process uses a significant amount of semiconductors that contribute to pollution.
A study simulating the EC-Earth solar power farm indicates that this would impact the albedo effect (a concept related to the phenomenon of diffuse reflection or the reflective power of surfaces) on the local ecosystem.
The study also shows that if solar panels cover more than 20% of the Sahara’s total area, it could trigger a feedback loop of rising temperatures.
Part of the solar energy will convert into heat, potentially altering local temperatures.
Solar panels do not convert sunlight entirely into electricity. Instead, part of the solar energy converts into heat, which could alter local temperatures.
Hot solar panels trigger high surface air temperatures and convection currents, which could induce rainfall. Consequently, the increased rainfall would promote the growth of vegetation, which would further reduce albedo, as plants absorb sunlight better than sand.
However, the redistribution of rainfall in the Sahara and surrounding regions could reduce rainfall in the Amazon by 10-30%. This is nearly equal to the additional rainfall that the Sahara would receive due to the lower albedo caused by the PV solar panels. The decrease in humidity and rainfall could lead to drought-like conditions in the Amazon.
Moreover, solar farms in the desert could encourage the development of tropical storms in North America and the East Asian coasts.
