Stoate welcomes interest in creation of European wide HVDC network

Dartford MP Dr Howard Stoate has welcomed the increasing interest of scientists and politicians in the creation of a European wide High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) electricity grid.  The provision of such a network could allow Europe to utilise solar power from the Sahara Desert.

Scientists at the Euroscience Open Forum held in Barclelona have backed the idea, whilst both Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Fren President Nicholas Sarkozy are know to be keen. 

Currently power is transferred through Alternating Current (AC) lines which lose a far high proportion of their current than HVDC lines.  HVDC offers Europe the opportunity to transfer unlimited power from north to south, east to west, far more efficiently than would be possible using the current electricity infrastructure.  

Discussing this, Dr Stoate said, "I have been researching these issues for a number of years now, and I genuinely believe that the creation of an HVDC European grid could solve our future energy needs.  This would mean that nations all across Europe could 'feed in' power from clean sources, for example wind from Scotland and Denmark, geothermal energy from Iceland and solar power from the Iberian peninsula and North Africa.  This would ensure that the weather, or indeed lack of it, would not reduce power supply in the grid."

"I have been working with the group TREC-UK to try and highlight the potential of an HVDC network and Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) within Parliament.  I tabled a Parliamentary Motion calling for investment, whilst I have also had an adjournment debate with the Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks.  I hope that this will make the Government consider the viability of this plan and its potential to massively reduce this nation's carbon footprint."

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