DESERTEC Foundation: The TuNur Project -- Tunisian sun will light European homes by 2016

In the sands of North Africa, the DESERTEC Foundation's vision for a future where the world's deserts supply clean and sustainable energy to the whole of humankind is beginning to take shape. That future begins in the Saharan deserts of Tunisia with a project called "TuNur".

Official Press Release:
http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=e...


Im nordafrikanischen Wüstensand nimmt die Zukunftsvision der DESERTEC Foundation, die Menschheit mit sauberem Strom aus den Wüsten der Erde zu versorgen, konkrete Formen an. Diese Zukunft beginnt in der Sahara-Wüste Tunesiens mit dem Projekt "TuNur".

Offizielle Pressemitteilung:
http://us1.campaign-archive1.com/?u=e...

• Category

  Science & Technology

[DESERTECChannel]

Furthermore, it is obvious from our discussions in Tunisia, that creation of jobs, and possibilities for the development of new industries are at least as important for the country. We estimate that up to 60% of the value-added will take place in Tunisia and this will have significant benefits for the Tunisian economy particularly in the poorer Southern part of the country where TuNur will be built.

[samirbalonmano]

How do you store heated water during the night, so that turbines can make electricity during the night?

[DESERTECChannel]

The usual storage medium is molten salts. The salts store the energy as heat which can then be used to create steam that drives the turbine to produce electricity when it is needed even after dark.

[DESERTECChannel]

@ErileMatan We would be glad if the TuNur plants could also supply Tunisians with electricity but providing the Tunisian energy supply is currently the responsibility of Tunisian state-owned company, STEG. Under current Tunisian legislation, private companies cannot supply electricity directly to the Tunisian grid. TuNur is nonetheless open to discussions about feeding some of the electricity from the TuNur project into the Tunisian grid.

[ThePunisher014]

I hope that Europe and Tunisia do more huge projects together.

[oatlegOnYt]

This plan want to demostrate that export of energy from North Africa and Europe is possible. They are concentrated in demostrate it. Obviusly, if it was a success, a lot more plants will be built and this plants will generate energy for local people even water at the same time, so desert zones near sea could generate enough water to create a lot of food to feed whole Africa at a developed level.

[Andy Myers]

About time something sensible happened!

[fireofenergy]

If Africa wasn't so economically challenged (by other countries?) then there is still plenty of room. In fact, there is enough deserts to power up all countries to western standard x like 10. And x 20 if 30% efficient GaAs robotically mass produced panels were built!