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Key people at DESERTEC Foundation.
Based in Hamburg and Berlin, Germany, the DESERTEC Foundation is a non-profit think tank that promotes harnessing solar energy from desert regions to supply renewable power across Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa. The organization connects scientists, politicians, and commercial enterprises to advance clean energy infrastructure and advocate for desert-based renewables. Throughout its history, the foundation has collaborated with prominent entities and figures, including the Club of Rome, Munich Re, the German research organization DLR, and Prince Hassan bin Talal of Jordan. Operating without traditional revenue, the entity relies on donations and volunteer support to conduct initiatives such as a 2020 feasibility study on power cables to Europe. The DESERTEC Foundation was founded in 2009 by Dr. Gerhard Knies alongside members of the TREC network and the German Association of the Club of Rome.
Key people at DESERTEC Foundation.
The DESERTEC Foundation is a non-profit organization, not a company, established in 2009 to promote the DESERTEC Concept—a vision for harnessing solar and wind energy from deserts to provide sustainable power globally, combating climate change, ensuring reliable energy supply, and fostering development in regions like Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa (MENA).[1][2][3][6] Its mission centers on advancing green desert energy to decarbonize Europe, deliver clean prosperity to Africa, and reduce Middle East dependence on oil, through lobbying, awareness-raising, policy advocacy, knowledge transfer, and private-sector collaboration—all driven by a pro bono team of volunteers.[1][2] Unlike an investment firm, it does not manage funds or portfolios but acts as a civil society lobby, distinguishing itself from the for-profit DESERTEC Industrial Initiative (DII), which involved companies like Siemens and Deutsche Bank to commercialize the concept.[3][4][5]
The DESERTEC Foundation emerged in January 2009 from a network of scientists, politicians, and economists around the Mediterranean, who developed the core DESERTEC idea of using deserts' vast solar potential—receiving more energy in six hours than humanity uses in a year—to meet global power needs with just a fraction of desert land.[2][3][4] Co-founders like Oliver Steinmetz, along with about 25 citizens, invested private funds to launch it as a non-profit, inspired by the Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Cooperation (TREC) and the Club of Rome.[4][5] Key early figures include supervisory board members like Sabir Adam, an investment banking expert in green energy with over £30 billion in transactions, and Dr. Ulrich Hueck, a solar thermal innovator and founding donor.[2] It quickly spawned the DII in 2009 as a German-led industry arm, but the Foundation has persisted independently, supporting projects in Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria amid DII's later contraction.[3]
DESERTEC rides the global renewables megatrend, tapping deserts' untapped solar/wind potential to supply 15-20% of Europe's electricity by 2050 while powering MENA locally, aligning with decarbonization goals amid rising energy demands and fossil fuel transitions.[3][5] Timing is ideal post-Paris Agreement, with falling solar costs and HVDC transmission advances enabling feasibility, as demonstrated by reference plants in harsh desert environments.[1][4] Market forces like EU green deals, MENA diversification from oil, and geopolitical energy security favor it, influencing the ecosystem by inspiring projects (e.g., Tunisia's Tunur) and frameworks for international clean energy trade.[3][5] It shapes policy discourse, bridging civil society with industry to accelerate desert power at scale.
The Foundation's influence will grow as desert renewables prove viable amid climate urgency, potentially scaling via partnerships like JETP for net-zero finance and new solar thermal breakthroughs.[1][2] Expect expanded projects in MENA/Africa, policy wins for HVDC grids, and integration with batteries/hydrogen for baseload power, evolving from lobbyist to key enabler of a desert-powered planet. This non-profit pioneer, born from visionary collaboration, remains essential for turning green desert energy into the 21st century's sustainable wealth engine.[1][4]
