Description of Challenge
To transform deserts to grow food, produce energy and to absorb CO2.Using innovative and established ideas to transform desert environments
Solution
The Sahara Forest Project is a scheme that aims to provide fresh water, food and renewable energy in hot, arid regions as well as re-vegetating areas of uninhabited desert. This proposal combines saltwater-cooled greenhouses with Solar Power technologies, either directly using Photovoltaic (PV) or indirectly using concentrated solar power (CSP) and technologies for desert revegetation. It is claimed that these technologies together will create a sustainable and profitable source of energy, food, vegetation and water. The founding team behind the Sahara Forest Project was composed of experts from Seawater Greenhouse Ltd, Exploration Architecture, Max Fordham Consulting Engineers and the Bellona Foundation. The scale of the proposed scheme is such that very large quantities of seawater would be evaporated. By using locations below sea level, pumping costs would be eliminated. Among planned activities are one pilot project in Jordan and one in Qatar.
Sahara Forest Project combines saltwater-cooled greenhouses with technologies for outside revegatation and concentrated solar power (CSP). It is claimed that these technologies together will create a sustainable and profitable source of energy, food, vegetation and water. The scale of the proposed scheme is such that very large quantities of seawater would be evaporated. By using locations not too high above sea level, pumping costs would be eliminated.The right conditions to house Sahara Forest Project facilities are a lot of sun and low-lying desert areas.
