Desertec Industrial Initiative is a consortium of German and other European companies, which has been established to develop renewable energy projects in the Sahara Desert and generate power for Europe. DII was founded last summer by the non-profit Desertec Foundation to accelerate the implementation of the Desertec Concept in the Europe/Middle East/North Africa region. Currently, DII has 18 shareholders and 32 associated partners, which include the largest German and international industrial powerhouses.
According to Andrew Garrad, GL Garrad Hassan’s President, the company sees Desertec as “an opportunity to demonstrate the potential of renewable energies, in particular in the solar field”. As a renewable energy consultancy, GL Garrad Hassan has focused particularly on wind energy and Andrew Garrad reveals that joining DII “marks part of a major initiative to expand business in the solar field".
GL Garrad Hassan’s engagement with the project will centre on participating in working groups and preparing reference projects and plans. Dr Helmut Klug, the Regional Manager of GL Garrad Hassan for Central Europe, Middle East and Africa commented on this major step as part of GL Garrad Hassan's involvement in wind and solar projects in North Africa and Middle East: "We are proud of being part of one of the world's biggest renewables energy joint ventures aiming at generating sustainable and climate-friendly electricity in the deserts of North Africa and the Middle East. GL Garrad Hassan's global team, including the GL Garrad Hassan office recently opened in Egypt, allows us to provide the best possible services for Desertec stakeholders.”
GL Garrad Hassan is one of the world’s largest dedicated renewable energy consultancies and a recognised technical authority on the subject. It offers independent technical and engineering services, products, and training courses to the onshore and offshore wind, wave, tidal and solar sectors. Although the GL Garrad Hassan name is new, the company has a rich heritage. It is borne of the integration of specialist companies that, united, form the renewable energy consulting division of the GL Group. GL Garrad Hassan is a consulting company; it has no equity stake in any device or project.
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