The First Solar Thermal Plant Into Service By 2016, Sonelgaz CEO

CEO of state run gas and electricity distributor Sonelgaz, Noureddine Boutarfa said Monday that the first solar thermal plant in Algeria will be commissioned in 2016 in the province of El Oued.

 “We are due to put into service the first solar thermal stations in 2016-2017, as the inaugural station will be set in El Oued, with 150 MW capacity,” Mr Bouterfa was quoted as saying by the local radio. 

 Sonelgaz is due installing 67 renewable power generators, 27 of which are photovoltaic power plants, 27 hybrid power plants, 6 solar thermal plants, 7 wind power plants.

The North African nation counts investing 60 billion US dllars to generate 12.000 MW power by 2030, or 40 percent of local need by then, Mr Bouterfa recalled. 

He further added that Desertec project, in which Algeria is a member, would permit to Sonelgaz identifying partnership projects to be launched with enterprises part of this energetic project aiming at exporting solar power to Europe.

Yet, Algeria requires first to mobilize huge budget to this project, in addition to the installation of required interconnection network for carrying electricity, as Sonelgaz is not able of guaranteeing alone such a budget, Mr Bouterfa explained. 

 Currently, both Italy and Spain are not yet completely connected to the European power network, mostly as the power transmission lines will pass by their territories, Sonelgaz CEO mentioned. 

The project of integrating power networks in the Mediterranean region (Med-Ring) would facilitate the installation of the interconnection network between the nations of the two sides of the Mediterranean.