One of the first concrete steps that Desertec announced was a plan to build three solar power plants in Morocco.

BBC: Solar storm as desert plan to power Europe falters

He thinks the Desertec initiative is too reliant on public subsidies.

BBC: Solar storm as desert plan to power Europe falters

However, enthusiasts of the Desertec concept say there is around 8, 000 times more energy than we need to be harnessed from the Sun, an unlimited renewable resource.

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The idea behind the Desertec project was seductively simple.

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In a sense, the scheme is similar to the Desertec project, which I posted about here recently, which proposes to use CST based stations in north Africa to provide electricity for Europe.

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"The governments get cold feet for one reason, Desertec needs too much support in tax money - all the public budgets are over borrowed - and tax money is not easily available, " Mr Fell said.

BBC: Solar storm as desert plan to power Europe falters

While concerns have been raised in recent weeks about the future of North Africa's Desertec project that aims to export solar power to Europe, researchers are far more hopeful about the prospects for local African markets.

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After becoming the third North African nation to join the Desertec renewable energy plan, Algeria announced a series of tenders in July, appealing to local and international firms to help work towards a progressive national goal of 650MW by 2015 and building towards 22, 000MW by 2030, with output almost evenly split between domestic and export demand.

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