Deserts offer cheap source of energy

Sahara sunshine could provide Europe with clean and cheap energy, according to a study for the German government.

Experts said solar energy from north Africa could help to reduce emissions from European power stations by 70 per cent by 2050 as well as providing energy at a cost equivalent to a $20 barrel of oil – about a third of the current price.

They envisage the use of concentrating solar power systems – in which mirrors focus sunlight on a boiler to create steam, which drives a turbine – and transporting the electricity on a vast network of power lines.

Scotsman

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