The production of key resources, such as clean water, clean energy and a sustainable production of food represents some of our time’s greatest challenges. Sahara Forest Project offers commercial opportunities for renewable energy production and agricultural production in low lying desert areas.

The Sahara Forest Project is an innovative environmental solution to create Restorative Growth: “Revegetation and creation of green jobs through profitable production of food, freshwater, biofuels and electricity”. In other words:  A business-case that is good for the environment, good for people and with long term economic viability. The Sahara Forest Project is aiming for a triple bottom-line.

Bellona is a co-founder of Sahara Forest Project Foundation.

The Sahara Forest Project Foundation sets out to facilitate and promote research, knowledge and the use of technologies, which enable revegetation and the creation of new jobs through the profitable production of food, water, biomass and electricity.

The technologies
With nature as an inspiration The Sahara Forest Project has designed a technological system where the waste product from one technology is used as resource for another. The Sahara Forest Project combines already existing and proven environmental technologies. The uniqueness of the concept lies in bringing out the potential that exist in the synergies between technologies across industry sectors.

The core technological components are Saltwater-cooled greenhouses, Concentrated Solar Power and technologies for establishing outside vegetation in arid environments.

However, the technologies are only part of the equation.

Sahara Forest Project facilities will only be truly successful if well integrated with local communities providing opportunities for jobs, produce and knowledge transfer.

From vision to reality
The first feasibility studies for the concept was at The UN Climate Summit in 2009 (COP 15 in Copenhagen).  Three years later, Sahara Forest Project attended COP 18 in Doha and presented the Qatar Pilot Facility, fully operational, to the delegates. Through operational verification Sahara Forest Project has been able deliver ground-breaking results, proving the potential for enabling Restorative Growth in some of the hottest and driest parts of our world.

More information about Sahara Forest Project: www.saharaforestproject.com

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