The ambitious plan to generate 15% of Europe’s electricity from solar farms in North Africa and the Middle East appears to be beset by problems.

The Munich-based Desertec initiative had been hoping to start transmitting power from Morocco and Tunisia via under water interconnectors by 2015 but two major backers, Siemens and Bosch, are reported to have dropped out.

The Spanish government is also apparently drawing back from the initiative’s plans to build solar farms in Morocco.

However, other investors including RWE, E.ON, Deutsche Bank, ABB, and the German reinsurer Munich RE remain in place, joined by Spanish engineering firm Elecnor, and the group maintains that there is no crisis.

And reports have been confirmed that talks are going on with Chinese state-owned power company SGC.

But one of the major shareholders in the Desertec Industrial Initiative (Dii), the Desertec Industrial Initiative, points out that little progress has been made since 2009 and, ideally, 5-10 pilot projects should be in place as soon as possible.

For further information:
www.desertec.org/

Related stories:
Desertec Industrial Initiative signs deal with Algeria on renewables (24-Jan)
European Desertec solar initiative to start construction in Morocco (16-Nov 2011)

Article source: http://www.energyefficiencynews.com/i/5575/