The potential for solar power from the desert has been known for decades. In the days after the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986, the German particle physicist Gerhard Knies calculated that the world’s deserts receive enough energy in a few hours to provide for humanity’s power needs for a whole year. The challenge, though, has been capturing that energy and transporting it to the population centers where it is required. Experts expect that solar energy will make up a third of Morocco’s renewable energy supply by 2020, with wind and hydro taking the same share each. “We are very proud of this project,” Morocco’s environment minister, Hakima el-Haite said. “I think it is the most important solar plant in the world.”
By 2020, two-thirds of Morocco’s renewable energy will be ...
Hydro and wind energy Solar energy Owned by Hakima el-Haite Available for export to other countries