Oil-rich Algeria is making a surprise investment and is creating a new solar power plant that will one day feed into the most expensive grids in the world established by the Desertec Foundation.
The Algerian government recently signed an agreement with the German Solar Energy College for the formation of the Algerian-German Center for Training and Technical Platform for High Temperatures.
The German institute is currently experimenting with what it calls a solar tower generated by 2,000 mirrors arranged to reflect sun rays to a ceramic receiver on top of the tower; the resulting heat is then used to generate electricity.
The Desertec Initiative included members from Algeria, Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia in North Africa to Iran, Jordan and Dubai in the Middle East by the end of August. "Close cooperation between EU and MENA, is key for the economic and physical survival of the whole region. It is vital for the introduction of renewable energy to the market, and the interconnection of electricity grids," a statement from Desertec read.
While both Algeria and Morocco have expressed an interest in taking part in the project, the border between the two countries is closed pending a dispute over Western Sahara. In addition to Algeria housing about 102,000 Western Saharan refugees, it also faces attacks from Islamic extremists.