Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change, what steps he is taking in working with EU partners to encourage the development of concentrated solar power in the desert regions of North Africa as part of plans to meet the 15 per cent interconnections target for Europe.

The UK fully supports EU efforts to bring about further energy interconnection, both within the EU and linking the EU with third countries, in order to meet energy security and low carbon objectives. Developing concentrated solar power (CSP) in North Africa is potentially a part of these efforts among many others, although more research and development is required to demonstrate further improvements in CSP technology. The UK fully supports EU work in this area, such as in the Horizon 2020 Energy Programme.

Geographical and cost factors mean that CSP development in North Africa is not currently of direct interest to the UK.