European Countries Help Algeria Harness Solar Power Potential

---

Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--North African countries such as Algeria have ambitious plans to produce their electricity needs from renewable sources and export surplus power to other African countries and Europe. Algeria is targeting 650 megawatts (MW) of solar power generating capacity by 2015 and aims to increase this capacity 2,700 MW by 2020, and 12,000 MW by 2030.

Algeria has only one operational solar-thermal project in Hassi R'Mel. The plant combines a 25-MW parabolic trough concentrating solar power (CSP) array, covering an area of more 180,000 square meters, in conjunction with a 130-MW combined-cycle gas turbine plant.

Some European institutions have stated that North Africa's renewable energy potential could be a secure and valuable part of Europe's electricity supply needs in the near future, as the technologies and facilities for harnessing solar energy are being developed. Bernhard Milow, a researcher at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) (Berlin, Germany) has stated that by 2050, between 10% and 25 % of Europe's electricity needs could be supplied by North African solar-thermal plants.

By harnessing solar energy, Algeria could export more oil and gas, increasing its gross domestic product (GDP). Algeria is an OPEC member and has proven crude oil reserves of 12.2 billion barrels and proven natural gas reserve of 4,504 billion cubic meters. By exploiting its renewable energy potential to produce its electrical power needs, Algeria could increase its total exports of oil and gas to more than $31 billion annually, according to OPEC statistics in 2009.

The yearly solar energy received in Algeria is about 1,700 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per square meter in the north of the county and 2,263 per square meter in the South.

Algeria, in cooperation with German companies, is looking to develop a new generation of large-scale, low-cost solar thermal power plants. This is the focus of a joint research agreement that was signed in mid-2010 by Algeria, represented by New Energy Algeria (NEAL), and Germany, represented by DLR

The DLR researchers will look at ways of optimizing the design and manufacture of existing components and the efficiency of the collectors and absorbers. The aim of the research is to produce a power plant that is able to convert the huge amount of Algerian solar power into electricity that can be transmitted to Europe.

Germany's centrotherm photovoltaics (ETR:CTN) (Blaubeuren, Germany) won a $410 million contract for the construction of a photovoltaic production facility in Algeria. The plant has an area of 43,000 square meters, and will be located in Rouiba, 30 kilometers from Algiers. The plant is targeted to reach between 116 MW and 120 MW peak panel production. The project is scheduled for completion in 2013, according to Noureddine Boutarfa, the chairman of Algeria's state-owned National Society for Electricity and Gas (Sonelgaz).

The project will begin by building a silicon manufacturing plant in the desert to transform silica in the sand to silicon of sufficiently high quality for use in solar panels. Fourteen silica sand quarries and a foundry will supply silicon, which is the main feedstock in the manufacture of photovoltaic modules (solar panels). The various sites are located in Souk Ahras, El Tarf, Tebessa, Skikda, Djelfa, Tipaza, Chlef, Mascara and Relizane, according to Algeria's National Agency of Mining Heritage (ANPM).

View Project Report - 83000061

Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. IIR's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle™, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities.