New stage in achieving renewable energies programme in Algeria

The national programme of renewable energies development entered in the phase of pilot projects, notably with the inauguration of the photovoltaic power plant of Ghardaïa, Minister of Energy Youcef Yousfi said Thursday.
"The first stage of this programme included the elaboration of studies and the second stage includes pilot projects," he told the press, during a working visit to Ghardaïa where he inaugurated a mini solar power plant of capacity of 1.1MW, located in the locality of Oued Nechou, 10km of the administrative center of the city.
"We already have the solar/gas hybrid power stations of Hassi R’mel, operational since June 2011). Last week, we inaugurated the wind power plant of Adrar. Today, we commission a 100% photovoltaic plant which uses all the technologies known in this field," the minister said.
The new energy facility will serve as "open-sky laboratory" to survey the performances of each technology in extreme climate conditions like heat, sandstorms and dusts.
Once these technologies surveyed, "we will determine the best one to develop," Yousfi explained.
Moreover, he stressed the need for taking in consideration the type of plants to be built, so to locally produce solar panels.
"The national programme of development of the renewable energies is underway, and we are likely to speed it up as we are going to set up this year a score of solar plants with an overall capacity of 400MW," the minister added.