What the Arab Spring Could Mean For Solar Power in Sahara

The numbers to build a HVDC line across the desert are pretty good:

A HVDC line at 600 kV rated at 3GW (equivalent to supply 1.5 million households) can be built for $8.62 / MWh [1]

It is estimated that a solar tower in 2020 be built to produce energy at a cost of $54.7 / MWh [2]

The current base load energy contracts in Europe for 2013 are at around $50.3 / MWh [3]

If looked at in its entirety, the project cost is overwhelming, but what if a consortium bankrolled only the HVDC link and acted as a Market Network Service Provider. They would charge desert solar farms for network access and earn their return. The same thing is being trialled in Victoria, Australia where wind is plentiful. A single bulk sized line is built to the windy resource area and it become viable for smaller wind farm operators to connect at the end of that line.

[1] http://www.ieee.org/portal/cms_docs_pes/pes/subpages/meeting...

[2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_tower

[3] http://www.eex.com/en/

Good link, thanks.