Algeria to Share its Sunshine

In an effort to make use of its perennial sunshine Algeria is looking at the possibility of power cable to Germany to export some of its solar-generated electricity. Tewfik Hasni, Chief Executive of New Energy Algeria (NEAL), said the 3,000-km cable would be laid from the town of Adrar to the German city of Aachen under a project tentatively entitled “Clean Power From The Desert.”

The cable’s route would take it across the Mediterranean to the island of Sardinia, mainland Italy, Switzerland, and Germany. The project, if it goes through, would be carried out in partnership with a consortium of investors including Algerian state energy giant Sonatrach.

NEAL, the main vehicle for Algeria’s alternative energy strategy, is owned 45% by Sonatrach, 45% by gas utility Sonelgaz and 10% by private agro-industrial firm Semouleries Industrielles de la Mitidja.

In another solar project NEAL, in partnership with Spain’s Abener Energia Spa, will see construction start in 2008 on a hybrid solar-gas plant at Hassi R’Mel with a capacity of 150 MW due to come on stream in late 2009. The plant will be the first of a series of combined-cycle hybrid plants that NEAL has planned. NEAL is aiming for the solar-gas plants to provide 500MW, or 5% of national generating capacity by 2010.  

As solar technology improves, Hasni said there are plans to establish pure solar generation plants without the need for gas and gradually expand solar power’s capacity.