Algeria has
turned its back on Desertec, but government officials say the country will develop solar energy for domestic consumption.
Last month,
Youcef Yousfi, the mines and energy minister, said Algeria would not participate in the €400 billion (Dh1.87 trillion)
Desertec project to develop a network of solar and wind projects in the MENA region aimed at exporting power to Europe. The Desertec Industrial Initiative, led by large European firms, mostly from Germany, has financial backing from
Deutsche Bank and political support from the EU.
Mr Yousfi said the Algerian government had decided instead to develop its own flagship solar project.
"Algeria will do more with solar and expects to make a
new town which is completely [powered by] solar electricity," he said.
To this end, the state-owned gas and power utility
Sonelgaz would install 365 megawatts of solar power capacity between 2013 and 2020, Mr Yousfi said last week.
On Friday, Noureddine Bouterfa, the chief executive of Sonelgaz, said the company planned to install the first 10mw of solar capacity in 2013 and to increase that to 50mw the following year.
Sonelgaz planned to spend
US$3.3 billion (Dh12.11bn) this year on expanding Algeria's total power generation capacity and gas distribution network in order to ease energy shortages during peak demand periods, Mr Bouterfa said.
Pic courtesy of Sonelgaz
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