Asian Super Grid Initiative Aims for Renewable Energy Grid Integration

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Written by Richard Finlayson, Senior International Editor for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--Cooperation between the Desertec Foundation and the Japan Renewable Energy Foundation (JREF) will pave the way for the accelerated expansion of renewable energy in Asia.

JREF promotes the Asia Super Grid Initiative, which is aimed at facilitating an electricity system in Asia that is based wholly on renewable energy. This initiative envisions the interconnection of the national grids of Japan, Korea, China, Mongolia and Russia with low-loss high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission lines. These lines would enable the delivery of electricity from the region's most abundant renewable energy sources to its centers of demand while simultaneously balancing out the peaks and troughs of fluctuating renewable energy sources over a wider area.

JREF was founded in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear power station disaster with the mission to prevent such events happening again and to efficiently accelerate the deployment of renewable energy.

The Desertec Foundation sees such a grid as an important step toward the implementation of its Desertec concept in greater East Asia and has already conducted a feasibility study on the potential grid corridors to make the best use of the region's desert sun.

Through projects in Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia, and the Desertec university network, the foundation supports knowledge transfer and educational cooperation.

Dr. Tomas Kaberger, the JREF executive board chair, said: "Technologies to harness solar power and wind energy have improved dramatically in the last few years. Combined with modern power transmission technologies, renewable energy can support the long term economic prosperity of the region. Establishing an Asian super grid will be challenging and will require a high level of international collaboration, but its benefits will be worth the effort. We are happy to be able to benefit from the experience of Desertec in this undertaking."

The two bodies have signed a memorandum of understanding in Tokyo.

For related information, see November 30, 2011, article - Giant Desertec Solar Project Boosted by Medgrid Alliance and January 31, 2011, article - Desertec Backs 2,000 Megawatt Tunisian Concentrating Solar Power Project.

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