Tunisian sunshine could soon be powering homes in the UK if an ambitious North African project gets the green light. The TuNur project aims to power up to 2.5 million UK homes by 2018 using solar energy captured in the vast Tunisian plains. Its investors have already spent £8 million ($12.9 million) on their project, which they claim will provide energy that is 20 per cent cheaper than other sources. Tunisian sunshine could soon be powering homes in the UK if an ambitious North African project gets the green light. The TuNur project (pictured) aims to power up to 2.5 million UK homes by 2018 using solar energy captured in the vast Tunisian plains . TuNur, a partnership between British renewables investor Low Carbon, developer Nur Energie, and Tunisian investors, has gathered three years of solar data from their site in Kebili Governorate. They are now seeking approval from the UK government, who has recently allowed non-UK developers of renewable energy projects to bid for contracts that guarantee subsidies. 'This is not a back-of-the-envelope fantasy,' Kevin Sara, chief executive of TuNur told Matt McGrath at BBC News. 'We are working with some of the largest engineering firms in the world. This is a serious project. Yes, it is risky like any big energy project is risky.' The TuNur project will work with concentrated solar power (CSP) technology which uses thousands of mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight onto a central point. Electricity is generated when the concentrated light is converted to heat, which drives a heat engine connected to an electrical power generator . The TuNur project will work with concentrated solar power (CSP) technology which uses thousands of mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight onto a central point. Electricity is generated when the concentrated light is converted to heat, which drives a heat engine connected to an electrical power generator. The plan involves building an undersea cable to Italy to connect to the European grid. But earlier this year, industry analysts warned that northern African states carried significant political risks. Vast solar farms are a blight on the countryside and will no longer be eligible for European subsidies, the Environment Secretary has declared. Liz Truss said carpeting acres of agricultural land with 'ugly' panels was preventing Britain leading the world in growing crops and raising livestock. Two years ago there were just 46 solar farms. There are now 250, with another 200 awaiting planning permission. Miss Truss has announced that from January subsidies worth £2 million ($3.23 million) a year from the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy will be axed. 'English farmland is some of the best in the world and I want to see it dedicated to growing quality food and crops', she said. 'I do not want to see its potential wasted and appearance blighted by solar farms. 'They are ugly, a blight on the countryside and are pushing production of meat and other traditional British produce overseas.' The policy does not affect subsidies for those who put solar panels on their roofs, or those built on the roofs of public buildings to generate their own energy. Landowners can still claim British subsidies from the Department of Energy and Climate Change for solar farms, but these were slashed this year. TuNur was an associate member of a separate solar project, Desertec which last week announced that it had all but folded. The project aimed to help to provide up to 15 per cent of Europe's power from solar and wind parks in North Africa and the Middle East by 2050. Desertec said that only three of its 19 existing shareholders had decided to stay on board: Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power, Germany's RWE and China's State Grid. They have decided to continue the project in an 'adapted format', Desertec said, adding that it would now function as a service company in the Middle East and North Africa. TuNur, a partnership between British renewables investor Low Carbon, developer Nur Energy, and Tunisian investors, has gathered three years of solar data from their site in Kebili Governorate. The plan involves building an undersea cable to Italy to connect to the European grid . 'Costs were very high and some companies said we're not that interested in the Middle East and North Africa,' Desertec Chief Executive Paul van Son told journalists, trying to explain why so many shareholders had left. Desertec's aim was to capitalise on the desert sun, which it estimated could provide more power in six hours than mankind could use in a year. Spread over a 6,500 square mile area more than half the size of Belgium, Desertec's projected delivery of more than 1 terawatt hours (TWh) would have been almost enough energy to power the whole of Germany for two years. Also, Europe has had its own solar power boom, raising questions about the need for imports. As a result, a number of major shareholders had already left the project in the past few years, including Siemens, Bosch, E.ON and Bilfinger. Kevin Sara, chief executive officer at Nur Energie: 'Recent news around Desertec (Dii) has raised some questions about the concept of North African solar. 'CSP is a proven technology and the Sahara is an area of optimum solar resource. Successful government programmes such as Masen in Morocco prove that developing solar in the Sahara is a cost effective source of renewable energy today. 'This coupled with the growing energy demand and need for low carbon and non-intermittent power in Europe makes North Africa an optimum region for large scale solar development.'
The TuNur project has already spent £8 million ($12.9 million) on its plans .
It is developing a solar farm in Kebili Governorate, south western Tunisia .
It says it can provide energy 20 per cent cheaper than other sources .
It works with concentrated solar power which uses thousands of mirrors .
These reflect and concentrate light onto a central point, generating heat .
TuNur was an associate member of a separate solar project, Desertec which last week announced that it had all but folded .
Tunisian sunshine could soon be powering homes in the UK if an ambitious North African project gets the green light. The TuNur project aims to power up to 2.5 million UK homes by 2018 using solar energy captured in the vast Tunisian plains. Its investors have already spent £8 million ($12.9 million) on their project, which they claim will provide energy that is 20 per cent cheaper than other sources. Tunisian sunshine could soon be powering homes in the UK if an ambitious North African project gets the green light. The TuNur project (pictured) aims to power up to 2.5 million UK homes by 2018 using solar energy captured in the vast Tunisian plains . TuNur, a partnership between British renewables investor Low Carbon, developer Nur Energie, and Tunisian investors, has gathered three years of solar data from their site in Kebili Governorate. They are now seeking approval from the UK government, who has recently allowed non-UK developers of renewable energy projects to bid for contracts that guarantee subsidies. 'This is not a back-of-the-envelope fantasy,' Kevin Sara, chief executive of TuNur told Matt McGrath at BBC News. 'We are working with some of the largest engineering firms in the world. This is a serious project. Yes, it is risky like any big energy project is risky.' The TuNur project will work with concentrated solar power (CSP) technology which uses thousands of mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight onto a central point. Electricity is generated when the concentrated light is converted to heat, which drives a heat engine connected to an electrical power generator . The TuNur project will work with concentrated solar power (CSP) technology which uses thousands of mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight onto a central point. Electricity is generated when the concentrated light is converted to heat, which drives a heat engine connected to an electrical power generator. The plan involves building an undersea cable to Italy to connect to the European grid. But earlier this year, industry analysts warned that northern African states carried significant political risks. Vast solar farms are a blight on the countryside and will no longer be eligible for European subsidies, the Environment Secretary has declared. Liz Truss said carpeting acres of agricultural land with 'ugly' panels was preventing Britain leading the world in growing crops and raising livestock. Two years ago there were just 46 solar farms. There are now 250, with another 200 awaiting planning permission. Miss Truss has announced that from January subsidies worth £2 million ($3.23 million) a year from the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy will be axed. 'English farmland is some of the best in the world and I want to see it dedicated to growing quality food and crops', she said. 'I do not want to see its potential wasted and appearance blighted by solar farms. 'They are ugly, a blight on the countryside and are pushing production of meat and other traditional British produce overseas.' The policy does not affect subsidies for those who put solar panels on their roofs, or those built on the roofs of public buildings to generate their own energy. Landowners can still claim British subsidies from the Department of Energy and Climate Change for solar farms, but these were slashed this year. TuNur was an associate member of a separate solar project, Desertec which last week announced that it had all but folded. The project aimed to help to provide up to 15 per cent of Europe's power from solar and wind parks in North Africa and the Middle East by 2050. Desertec said that only three of its 19 existing shareholders had decided to stay on board: Saudi Arabia's ACWA Power, Germany's RWE and China's State Grid. They have decided to continue the project in an 'adapted format', Desertec said, adding that it would now function as a service company in the Middle East and North Africa. TuNur, a partnership between British renewables investor Low Carbon, developer Nur Energy, and Tunisian investors, has gathered three years of solar data from their site in Kebili Governorate. The plan involves building an undersea cable to Italy to connect to the European grid . 'Costs were very high and some companies said we're not that interested in the Middle East and North Africa,' Desertec Chief Executive Paul van Son told journalists, trying to explain why so many shareholders had left. Desertec's aim was to capitalise on the desert sun, which it estimated could provide more power in six hours than mankind could use in a year. Spread over a 6,500 square mile area more than half the size of Belgium, Desertec's projected delivery of more than 1 terawatt hours (TWh) would have been almost enough energy to power the whole of Germany for two years. Also, Europe has had its own solar power boom, raising questions about the need for imports. As a result, a number of major shareholders had already left the project in the past few years, including Siemens, Bosch, E.ON and Bilfinger. Kevin Sara, chief executive officer at Nur Energie: 'Recent news around Desertec (Dii) has raised some questions about the concept of North African solar. 'CSP is a proven technology and the Sahara is an area of optimum solar resource. Successful government programmes such as Masen in Morocco prove that developing solar in the Sahara is a cost effective source of renewable energy today. 'This coupled with the growing energy demand and need for low carbon and non-intermittent power in Europe makes North Africa an optimum region for large scale solar development.'
investors have already spent £8 million ($12.9 provide energy that is 20 per cent cheaper than with concentrated solar power (CSP) technology which uses thousands of mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight onto a central point. of mirrors to reflect and concentrate sunlight TuNur was an associate member of a separate solar project, Desertec which last week announced that it had all but folded. The project aimed to help