Electricity is becoming an omnipresent power source, in buildings and industry as well as transport with electric cars. An intelligent power grid is gradually being developed, reaching across national borders and incorporating a constantly growing proportion of renewable energies.
Siemens is specialist in offshore wind farms and in steam turbines for solar thermal power plants - both are key components of the Desertec concept, via which future solar power plants and wind farms in North Africa are to supply electricity as far afield as Europe. The concept will require transnational power highways that are able to efficiently transmit electricity across thousands of kilometers. Such high-voltage direct current transmission lines already exist, for example in China. The Desertec concept describes sustainable power supply for Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa based on renewable energy sources. The power is to be generated by solar thermal power plants primarily located in northern Africa and by wind farms off the coast of northern Africa and northern Europe. Together with a number of renowned industrial companies Siemens has a commitment in the Desertec Industrial Initiative.
