An Analysis of Desertec Foundation in the Eumena, Coursework Example

The DESERTEC Foundation is a global renewable energy resource reinsurance consortium, currently vested in partnered supply of electricity for Europe (EU), the Middle East (ME) and North Africa (NA) up to the year 2050. Responsive to CO2 emissions reductions legislative policy since the Kyoto Protocol in 1998, the Foundation is dedicated to a transition to a ‘competitive, secure and compatible supply’ of renewable energy resource and efficiency gains, with fossil fuels as secondary source. In cooperation with the EU and MENA, DESERTEC has entered the regional market in order to introduce renewable energy options into an existing, interconnected network of electrical grids that should be further integrated by high-voltage direct-current transmission toward sustainable economic and environmental survival of the entire region. The partnership is actively seeking adequate policy and economic frameworks as solutions for building a viable and cost efficient renewable energy source for Europe’s future.

Founded in 2008, the not for profit organization DESERTEC Foundation commenced its Concept with Munich Re, the world’s leading reinsurance company, the Dii (DESERTEC Industrial Initiative in the July 2009 planning launch of its electrical grid network projects. The initiative targets optimizing conditions for accelerated implementation of renewable power grid networks in the EUMENA (Europe, Middle East, and North Africa).  The Dii is listed as a GmbH (a German limited liability company) in Munich as of 30 October 2009. The Dii is a venture signatory to thirteen founding members, with a growing shareholder and associated partner base, and private-public partnership network of companies, government and NGO entities from both North and South of the Mediterranean

A private sector response to energy development collaboration, Dii is informed and works with lead international institutional and political bodies in an effort to provide benchmarked outcomes across the board in all regions. German electrical and renewable energy conglomerate Siemens will provide core oversight on the infrastructural construction of The TREC Network Dii project with EUMENA in Africa. Electricity generated in the desert regions of the Africa region of the EUMENA project will be transported approximately 2,000 km from North Africa to consumers in Europe. Due to the immediacy of this kind of infrastructure, distance poses no obstacle to the high-voltage direct current (HVDC) transmission technologies. Akin to an ‘electrical highway,’ ninety five percent of the power arrives at the load centers in comparison to the traditional infrastructure currently employed by way of AC lines. Low transmission losses do much for the climate, as CO₂ emitted into the atmosphere are reduced by three million metric tonnes per year (Siemens, 2009).  According to strategy, The TREC Network EUMENA initiative aims to meet fifteen to twenty percent of the European power demand with the Dii project by 2050, through capture of solar- and wind-based electricity (Siemens, 2009). According to René Umlauft, CEO of the Renewable Energy Division at Siemens Energy, with the sun shining 4800 hours per year in the Sahara, the Dii “project unites sustainability, technological competence and visionary entrepreneurship – and precisely these features have been our strong points for more than 160 years. Siemens, with its broad portfolio of components for solar power plants, wind turbines and highly efficient power transmission, is the perfect technology partner for Desertec’ (Siemens 2009).

The DESERTEC WhiteBook, First Edition, introduced the Concept and strategic intentions of the Foundation to the EU Parliament in 2008, and the EUMENA document provides longitudinal explanation of electricity demand and renewable supply opportunities to the  middle of the century, 2050; in confirmation of “the importance of international cooperation to achieve economic and environmental sustainability” (DESERTEC 2010). The foregoing Stakeholder Analysis, Communications Plan and Work Breakdown Structure Report looks at the impact of DESERTEC in the EU region, and provides recommendation to the forthcoming implementation strategy of the multi-national electrical power grid network.

In collaboration with business and NGO partners, governmental representatives, shareholders, and ‘think tank’ experts in the field of renewable energy sources, Dii CEO Paul van Son represents the DESERTEC Foundation’s strategic initiatives. The Foundation also works in conjunction with international financial and development bodies such as the World Bank, toward development of sustainable electrical networks globally. Unlike the perspective of a traditional stakeholder analysis, query into DESERTEC’s sustainable models of partnership exceed those expectations in that core priorities not mentioned in fiscal or operational planning information sharing, like ‘emotional interest’ are actually apparent within the ideological thrust of this rather progressive environmentally focused initiative. Although CO₂ emissions mitigation is only part of the story, albeit central to the policy based objective of reaching a certain density of electrical transmission through renewable resource by 2050, the organization’s prospectus for success on such projects is high as the core resource is readily accessible

Fig. 2 Prioritization of Stakeholder Interests Grid

In the Dii’s formative stage, members from the ten country TREC (Trans-Mediterranean Renewable Energy Cooperation) Network work in concert with EUMENA in interest of ongoing sustainability of the project in the policy realm. Construction on the Dii EUMENA project informs the long-term authority structure on the project, as firms such as Siemens will work in collaboration with DESERTEC executive direction toward implementation and oversight on the engineered planning and systems. Temporal phases of the project dictate level of priority in terms of stakeholder rank. Ultimately, upon legislated articulation of exacting protocol within policy, DESERTEC’s relations with private partners whom provide construction, engineering, finance, logistics, and ongoing management of the infrastructure on the ground will have longer term impact, and likely influence on forthcoming decision making on the projects.

Communications Plan

The Dii Communications Plan is intended to act as an ‘awareness raiser,’ ‘barrier remover and ‘catalyst to reach as many potential stakeholders as possible. A think tank and forum for innovation in policy based renewable energy construction projects the Foundation is actively engaged in crafting viable solutions toward design of clean energy electrical power grid networks to potentially meet the demands of the world’s 10 billion people. To this end, the Foundation forms communicative models for realization of those efforts, and to bring parties from all concerned areas connected to the issue based, new market perspective on energy into dialogue through forums, conferences (i.e. Handelsblatt Energy Conference), press dossiers, ‘red’ and ‘white’ paper reports, and of course open RFP planning sessions for bid by potential construction, engineering, and finance partners. Particularly focused on communication with national governments, information fostered by DESERTEC Foundation communications management must be of the highest caliber, and impact all recipients with the ‘right framework of laws and regulations, and to ensure’ consensus in development of the consortium builder’s global prospectus of multi-national projects.

Work Breakdown Structure

Viable transition to an EU region integrated electrical supply that is inexpensive, compatible with the environment and based on secure resources according to the DESERTEC Concept, or Dii, is predicated upon planning in construction and operations both onsite in the European nations, and in nearby North Africa. The Mediterranean based project will look at how to best create a situation whereby the natural force of solar and wind based powers in the Sahara might be best harnessed toward transmission to a European market on demand. Feasible technologies for the transmission are: CSP and PV technologies, AC and DC transmission. Operations oversight and maintenance of the grid once built and deployed, will be supported by business development activities in the EU and elsewhere to attract investments in the framework of the DESERTEC concept, coordination with local industries as required, and knowledge sharing with experts on the ground in the MENA area.

The Work Breakdown Structure for the Dii project in the EUMENA is as follows: 1) Foundation think tank architecture, and including engineered design of prototypes; 2) Investor relation building; 2) Strategic Regional Planning with government partners; 3) Policy ‘ramp up’ to Convention ratification; 4) RFQ or RFP bid solicitation from private partners; and 5) Implementation (construction, logistics, resources, and oversight of operational processes). Follow up on the project activities would include ongoing administration relationships with private operations partners on the grids; communications strategies; and fiscal and compliance audit and reporting to financial and government institutions. Each EU member will have one power plant per district in each nation, all generated from a central grid in Italy which is adjacent to the Saharan nation of Tunisia.

References

Clean Power from Africa: Siemens supports the Desertec initiative with environmentally friendly technology, July 13, 2009. Siemens. Web.

Desertec Foundation, 2010. Web.

Rosenbaum, Walter, A., Environmental Politics and Policy, Seventh Edition. Washington D.C.: CQ Press, 2008.

Siemens. Hoovers, 2010. Web.