INTERNATIONAL AGENCIES AND THEIR Desertec-RELATED POLICIES AND ACTIONS

This page summarises the policies and actions of international agencies that have a bearing on the development of the Desertec concept.

European Commission

The EU has been supporting the concentrating solar power sector from at least as far back as 1998. It has provided funds for a number of projects (as described in Concentrating solar power : main projects supported by the Commission), including the PS10 power tower near Seville in Spain. There is an introduction to CSP and an overview of EC activity in this area is provided in Concentrating solar power: from research to implementation.

Concentrating solar power is identified as a key technology in the Solar Initiative within the EU's Strategic Energy Technology Plan.

European Investment Bank

The EIB has provided funds for the PS10 and PS20 power towers near Seville, the Andasol solar thermal power project, and related projects.

Neighbourhood Investment Facility

Although the EU's NIF was only established in May 2008, it is apparently already conducting a feasibility study for a concentrated solar power plant in Tunisia.

World Bank

The World Bank is providing funds for three CSP projects:

• The Kureimat integrated solar combined cycle power project in Egypt.
• The integrated solar combined cycle power project in Morocco.
• The Hybrid solar thermal integrated cycle project in Mexico, described in "Status of Projects in Execution – FY07 SOPE" (PDF, 19.8 MB), page 1876.

Between 1999 and 2001 it ran the Concentrating solar power for Africa study project but no evaluation documents are currently available for this project. It has also published an Assessment of the World Bank Group/GEF strategy for the market development of concentrating solar thermal power (PDF, 6.6 MB, 2006).

International Finance Corporation

The IFC provides investments and advisory services to build the private sector in developing countries but, as of July 2008, it appears not to have any investments in CSP.