This week twelve major firms including such as ABB,
Eon, Munich Re and Siemens signed in Munich a
memorandum of understanding to create a system of
networked solar plants in the desert of North Africa. The
Desert Industrial Initiative is aimed to cover 15 percent
of the electricity needs of the European Union and is
going to cost about €400 millions. Besides improving
energy availability and increase energy security of the
Union, this project will also help host countries in North Africa, developing desalination plants to use marine
water for irrigation purposes.

• This news is extracted from the Emission Trading Monitor : a weekly column that summarises the latest news on international climate change agreements, the updates on the carbon market and the energy and technology updates in the realm of climate change. Go to the web page and see all previous issues.
• This week: Control over CCS-targeted allowances under debate, European airlines contest cap calculation
  methodology, the power of the desert, Industrial companies’ view on an international agreement, EU-China talks, and the carbon market. Download July 13-17, 2009 issue [pdf – 155 Kb]
• From Youtube, a video news covering the signed Memorandum of Understanding on the future giant solar park in the Sahara Desert. An attempt, they, say, “to turn what sounds like a pipe-dream into reality”.