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As always, Wikipedia is informative: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouarzazate_solar_power_station https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouarzazate_solar_power_stati

As always, Wikipedia is informative: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouarzazate_solar_power_station https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ouarzazate_solar_power_stati.... The numbers there suggest a capacity factor of 26%...PV at that latitude might get about 2/3 of that. Also from Wikipedia: they have a contract to sell the power at 19¢/kWh. For reference, coal and wind in the U.S. sell for more like 3¢. It's great to see the world embrace clean energy, but the money in this project seems nuts to me.

groby_b 11y ago
Wild guess - it's a strategic thing for Europe. 1) They're very leery of whatever's Russia up to, and much of their NatGas comes from there. Any alternative energy is good energy. 2) It shores up the economy in a relatively stable part of northern Africa that'd be a prime location for people wanting to immigrate to spain. More refugees are not a good plan. 3) It helps Europe to hit Carbon reduction targets without having to deal with the NIMBY population. Or at least it was a strategic thing. Reading some more, European investors pulled out, and it's the Africa Development Bank now. Maybe the money is too nuts even with strategic goals in mind.
- ethagknight 11y ago
  Last paragraph in the article: “They had a vision to promote renewables at a time when oil prices were high" Guessing that's why Europe backed out.
- melling 11y ago
  It doesn't seem like it's big enough to matter on a global scale. A million people is a rounding error. We're never going to succeed if we can't get the cost close to fossil fuels.
  - joepvd 11y ago
    True. Yet, the size of this single renewable project is bigger than what happens around my town. It is more significant than the current rounding errors.
    - melling 11y ago
      A lot of solar power is coming online. China is adding a significant amount, for example: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_in_China https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_in_China Apple is building a couple hundred megawatts in China: http://fortune.com/2015/10/22/apple-china-solar/ http://fortune.com/2015/10/22/apple-china-solar/ The problem is we need an awful lot more without breaking the bank.
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
- aedron 11y ago
  Seems more like another of the typical schemes to put development world countries into debt. The book Confessions of an Economic Hitman by a former World Bank contractor gives a lot of details of how these deals work. (An on the surface bona fide project that no one would contest, a dam, urban development, highways, bridges. A 'sponsored' consultancy is sent in to make favorable projections. Key government officials in the target country take a couple percent of the loan for themselves, the public is on the hook for the rest forever, as the project inevitably fails to make economic sense.)

groby_b 11y ago

Wild guess - it's a strategic thing for Europe. 1) They're very leery of whatever's Russia up to, and much of their NatGas comes from there. Any alternative energy is good energy. 2) It shores up the economy in a relatively stable part of northern Africa that'd be a prime location for people wanting to immigrate to spain. More refugees are not a good plan. 3) It helps Europe to hit Carbon reduction targets without having to deal with the NIMBY population. Or at least it was a strategic thing. Reading some more, European investors pulled out, and it's the Africa Development Bank now. Maybe the money is too nuts even with strategic goals in mind.

ethagknight 11y ago
Last paragraph in the article: “They had a vision to promote renewables at a time when oil prices were high" Guessing that's why Europe backed out.
melling 11y ago
It doesn't seem like it's big enough to matter on a global scale. A million people is a rounding error. We're never going to succeed if we can't get the cost close to fossil fuels.
- joepvd 11y ago
  True. Yet, the size of this single renewable project is bigger than what happens around my town. It is more significant than the current rounding errors.
  - melling 11y ago
    A lot of solar power is coming online. China is adding a significant amount, for example: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_in_China https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_power_in_China Apple is building a couple hundred megawatts in China: http://fortune.com/2015/10/22/apple-china-solar/ http://fortune.com/2015/10/22/apple-china-solar/ The problem is we need an awful lot more without breaking the bank.
deleted 11y ago
[deleted]
aedron 11y ago
Seems more like another of the typical schemes to put development world countries into debt. The book Confessions of an Economic Hitman by a former World Bank contractor gives a lot of details of how these deals work. (An on the surface bona fide project that no one would contest, a dam, urban development, highways, bridges. A 'sponsored' consultancy is sent in to make favorable projections. Key government officials in the target country take a couple percent of the loan for themselves, the public is on the hook for the rest forever, as the project inevitably fails to make economic sense.)