Projects such as the SuperGrid are usually first proposed by venture capital firms or power operators, and a website for the project is set up. There will be detailed information about the project, including the goal of the project, the implementation plan, the estimated amount, the investment required, the partner company, etc.
Since this type of project is in the planning/thinking stage, no company has a mature website to describe the existing operation. Most web designs follow the logic of brief introduction – specific project introduction – latest development – company introduction.
Following are some example websites for these projects:
In addition to introducing who they are, the website also puts some of their energy education projects on the front page. We can get a clear picture of how these projects work and their branches. In the following pages, the relationship between the company and the country, the enterprise and the information of the person in charge are recorded in detail. They also have contact information, events, and how to join their company.
https://www.supergrid-institute.com/
On the home page is a homemade YouTube video that explains in some detail the company’s main goal and what Supergrid is. And you can see down here that there are five different projects that are under research, giving you a very clear idea of what they do. Further down, you can see the latest related news, which is related to the company’s progress or some of the capabilities related to clean energy that support the corporate culture. Finally, the latest release of the company’s content. At the bottom are some of the businesses and organizations that have supported the company. The pages that follow also have more details, contact information, and how to join.
In general, these sites are very succinct about the company’s goals, the progress of the project, and the blueprint for the future. Contact information and the basic structure of the company are clear enough for people to see on the website and contact quickly if they are interested. At the same time, there are some industry news related to this project on the official website, so that visitors can feel that it is a continuous update of the website rather than a deserted website. In the end, these projects have more or less found partners, not necessarily many but all of them, not just a “program.”
Following are some ongoing famous projects websites:
http://www.medgrid-psm.com/en/
These two sites are less of a template than the previous sites (yes, the first two sites were Weebly). They are a company that has already started and is leading the development of new grid energy in Europe, so the content on their website is not very rich (not even Wikipedia). The website style and focus of these companies are completely different, but the website update frequency is poor, medGrid and 2015 news, Desertec is also 2019.
Following is an example of a running grid company:
https://www.hydroquebec.com/transenergie/en/
This is a very mature company website. Basically anything of interest can be found there, and since it’s a Canadian company, it supports both English and French. The company’s history, development, main business are very clear, advantages and revenue can also be found. The website of Hydro Quebec has a lot of history on it, which is quite convincing, compared to a company in the planning period that has more of its own future on it.
Details of existing progress/pilot lines will be available on the project website once the project is partially or adequately funded. Once the grid is running, some actual data and images will be posted on the site. At present, most of the projects are still in the stage of venture capital, so there is no case. A similar website can be found on the website of Hydro Quebec above.
Who suggested UHV Grid project in Europe? Who are the experts?
- Alan Novak, Mining and Power Industries Director from Emerson, support UHV development in Europe.
- Chenghong Gu, Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, The University of Bath, United Kingdom. He and some Chinese fellows write a research paper on why Europe should build a new SuperGrid.
- Corrado Clini, formerly Italy’s Environment Minister, support use of clean electricity from North Africa and want to cooperate with China as well.
- Arvea Marieni, consultant at GCM Consulting. Same above.
- German theoretical physicist Gerhard Knies (DESERTEC), the first person in Europe found the idea of using North Africa’s sun and wind power to power up Europe. He starts his research after Chernobyl accident. He is the supporter of non-nuclear electricity. He is in the opposite side of France’s nuclear clean electricity plan and eager to find the substitute of traditional power plants.
- Tunisian Energy Minister Hela Cheikhrouhou, wants to cooperate with Italia.
- Moroccan Minister Delegate in charge of the Environment Hakima El Haite.
- Dr Gregor Czisch, of Kassel University.
- André Merlin, CEO of Medgrid.
- Grid operator and equipment maker in Europe to around the world.
- China and GEIDCO.
- Other companies and supporters.
Some questions:
- If we were to bring clean energy from North Africa to Europe, with current UHVDC technology, how many parallel transmission lines would we need to meet more than 75% of Europe’s demand?
- What is the approximate footprint of an UHVDC substation for a medium-sized city (population 0.5~1 million)? Will it occupy many urban land resources?
- Would connecting the whole of Europe lead to massive blackouts? Are they more vulnerable to terrorist attacks than countries running their own power grids?
- How is the approval of high voltage in Europe carried out? Are there many areas to be careful of/avoid when setting up a high voltage grid? Will this affect the economics of the SuperGrid?
- Is a new grid necessary for short distance connections within Europe? Could it be possible to reduce costs by simply building a single transport route linking North Africa to multiple European regions?
- How do you balance the need for clean energy with the need for power development? How can this project be done without reducing each country’s ability to provide its own electricity?
- How can Europe, as a multi-country region, coordinate projects to reach more people? How to solve the situation that some countries are committed to using nuclear power?
- If the project is optimistic, could the SuperGrid make Europe’s electricity completely carbon neutral? Do we only have the option of a good clean power plant in North Africa? Or could other areas provide an excellent source of electricity?