Solar energy from Sahara to power European homes via massive undersea cable

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Solar energy harvested on the edge of the Sahara desert in Egypt is set to be sent to Europe via a massive undersea electricity cable.

The 1,373km (853 miles) cable will deliver 3,000 MW of electricity to the European grid, powering both households and heavy industry.

The ambitious energy project is expected to be completed before the end of the decade, with the Copelouzos Group backers recently meeting with Egyptian leaders in an effort to speed up the project.

“By bringing 3,000 MW of clean energy to Europe via Greece, we are helping Europe wean itself off Russia’s fossil fuels and natural gas,” said Copelouzos Group chief executive Ioannis Karydas.

“Also, the green energy we will transport will be much cheaper than today’s energy prices. You understand that this will help both Greek and European consumers.”

The ‘GREGY Interconnection’ cable will run from Sidi Barrani in the east of Egypt to Attica in Greece, costing an estimated €3.5 billion.

The electricity will be produced in solar energy facilities in Egypt and other African countries and will serve shared grids in Bulgaria, Greece and Italy.

A similar initiative dubbed the Xlinks Morocco-UK Power Project will see clean electricity sent from North Africa to the south of England via a 3,800km cable.

A feasibility study for the wind and solar power project has already been completed and it is hoped that it will deliver 3,600 MW of renewable energy to meet the needs of roughly 7 million UK homes.

“Once complete, the project will be capable of supplying 8 percent of Great Britain’s electricity needs,” Xlinks outlined in a mission statement on its website.

“Alongside the consistent output from its solar panels and wind turbines, an onsite 20GWh/5GW battery facility will provide sufficient storage to reliably deliver each and every day, a dedicated, near-constant source of flexible and predictable clean energy for Britain, designed to complement the renewable energy already generated across the UK.”