Sustainable development by Sahara Solar Breeder plan: Energy from the desert of Algeria, a Green Energy Dream grows in the Sahara

Abstract

Abstract. In this contribution a particular attention is beinggiven to the joint event that bring together the relevant parties, University of Sciences and Technology of Oran (USTO-MB), six Japanese Universities, Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JSTA), University of Saida and the URER/MS Renewable Energy Centre of Adrar to develop a long-term vision and strategy to boost the ideas for the realisation and the development of the Sahara Solar Breeder (SSB) project. The Science Council of Japan (SCJ) proposed the SSB plan at the G8+5 Academies' meeting in Rome in 2009, and appealed for international cooperation to solve the global energy and ecological issues [1]. The SSB plan starts from basic material research on innovative solar Si technology (more than and beyond Siemens processes) and High critical Temperature Superconducting Cables (HT c SC) for DC transmission in order to speed up the electric superhighway. The generated electricity from SSB, made up of a network of Very Large Scale-PV Power Systems in Sahara desert, will have to be transferred to the North Africa, then Europe, Africa, and ultimately the rest of the world, via HT c SC that can provide, in compact dimension, firm capacity for base load, intermediate and peaking power, effectively complementing conventional electricity sources. Because HT c SC are compact and can transmit a large amount of electric power (up to 10 times as much power as conventional electric power transmission cable), it can utilize more effectively congested underground space where a lot of piping and other units already exist. This project will also tackle the key challenges and issues related to the field of PV putting forward the USTO-MB perspective and promoting its R/D activities by a collaborative research plan between Japan and Algeria. In addition to the wellrecognized two values of vast land and sunshine, the desert of Algeria has the third value, sand, for its main component, SiO 2 .