It may sound like an environmentalist's pipe dream, but giant greenhouses could soon be popping up in some of the world's deserts, producing fresh drinking water, food and fuel.
The Sahara Forest Project, which aims to create green oases in desert areas. With funding from the Norwegian government, the team plans to begin building the pilot plant on a 200,000 square metre site in 2012.
If all goes to plan, the plant will consist of a saltwater greenhouse to grow vegetables and algae for fuel. Water piped from the Red Sea will cool air flowing into the greenhouse, providing good growing conditions for the crops. The air will then be passed over pipes containing seawater heated by the sun. The resulting hot, humid air will finally meet a series of vertical pipes containing cold seawater, causing fresh water to condense and run down the pipes to collectors below.
This fresh water will be heated by a Concentrating Solar Power Plant to provide steam to drive a turbine, generating electricity. In turn, the electricity will be used to power the greenhouse's pumps and fans. The water will also be used to grow crops around the greenhouse.
Finally, excess heat generated by the solar power plant will be used to produce drinking water through desalination.
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