The association Desertec France was launched on August 30th, 2013 in Paris and the contracts with DESERTEC Foundation were signed by Francis Petitjean, President co-founder, Charles Ifrah, General Director co-founder, Thiemo Gropp, Director of Desertec Foundation and co-founder and Oliver Steinmetz, member of the executive board of the international NGO.
The staff also includes Stéphane Maureau, vice-president in charge of industrial relations, expert in photovoltaic and rural electrification, Alexandre Chatel, General Secretary, consultant in the field of renewable energies, and Bassa Sylla, treasurer and certified public accountant.
Desertec France, member of Desertec Foundation and Desertec University Network, is a civil society movement and pursues the goal of developing a sustainable future by working for energy transition in France and Africa. The Desertec vision includes the use of all renewable energies and considers deserts as solar and wind energy reservoirs. In six hours time, deserts capture more energy from the sun than humankind consumes in a year.
Desertec Foundation is present on five continents in order to promote its vision and goals : It informs civil society and political leader about Desertec Promotes the establishment of conditions necessary for project development Promotes the transfer of knowledge and scientific cooperation Consolidates relations with the private sector Evaluates and initiates key reference projects Desertec France brings together a panel of experts from different fields who work together in synergy to make a united scientific contribution to the debate on energy transition. It also initiates a plan to raise public and civil society awareness in the development of renewable energies to better economic development, North-South cooperation, and the environment.
An agreement has been signed with the Foundation AREAS (Alliance for Renewable Energy Access and Support) to promote innovative project financing and active citizen contribution.
In resume, Desertec France selects and accompanies key reference projects for solar and wind energy producers or rural electrification as in Senegal, through an electrification program for 53 villages initiated by the ASER (Agence Sénégalaise pour lElectrification Rurale), in Cameroon through the Solar Plan 2020 run by Fidès Gestion which provides access to electricity to 250 sites with the 500 MW installation of photovoltaic systems over 5 years, or the 50MW wind farm in Saint-Louis run by the operator C3E in Dakar.
http://www.desertec.org/press/press-releases/130904-desertec-france-founded/
