Desertec Dreams: Can Saharan Solar Power Save Europe?

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Still, critics of the Desertec initiative complain that such a project would create a new energy monopoly. Instead, they argue in favor of a more decentralized energy network.

One of the loudest critics is Hermann Scheer, the chairman of EuroSolar, the European Association for Renewable Energy, and an energy expert for Germany's center-left Social Democratic Party. "Desertec is a mirage that has not been considered carefully enough, either politically or economically," he told SPIEGEL ONLINE. "It is hardly possible to calculate the total cost of this project. There are just too many unknowns."

Scheer also fears that Desertec could lead to a delay in other renewable energy projects around Germany. In an interview with the renewable energy publication Solarmagazin, Scheer claimed that "businesses are trying to delay the required changes in energy production for another 30 or 40 years. They are trying to shift the burden of the cost onto the general public, which would be to their advantage. Desertec can really only be implemented by a handful of large companies, and it could also allow them to determine the price of electricity."

Meanwhile, Matthias Ruchser, energy expert and head of public relations at the German Development Institute, warns of the higher costs that Sahara-sourced solar power could bring. "Because solar power is more expensive than conventional energy at the moment, a framework needs to be established in the countries where the operating companies are based -- either through higher feed-in tariffs or through state-set quotas -- that plug the financial gap," he suggests. Only in this way would the billion-euro investments be worth it in the long term for private investors, he explains.

Lars Josefsson, the chief executive of the major central European energy firm Vattenfall, also thinks that the Desertec plan is unrealistic. The billions of euros required for the project are " a hell of a lot of money," Josefsson told the Financial Times Deutschland. "Additionally, the transport costs are very high. I don't think it's realistic," he said. "Europe must source its power from Europe."

In addition, the North African nations in which the solar power project would be built are unstable and Europe will become dependent on them, he says, adding that there is also the danger of terrorist attacks to consider.

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• Part 1: Can Saharan Solar Power Save Europe?
• Part 2: The State of Solar Power Today
• Part 3: What about Sand Storms, Desert Dunes and Lack of Water?
• Part 4: Can We Make Solar Power Cheaper?
• Part 5: How Can Solar Power Be Transported to Europe?
• Part 6: State of the Solar Power Nations
• Part 7: Not Everyone Dreams the Desertec Dream