Siemens to pull out of Desertec initiative

Following yesterday’s announcement of Siemen’s exit of the solar business, the company has confirmed that it will pull out of the Desertec Industrial Initiative (Dii) when its membership expires at the end of the year.

Established in 2009, Siemens is one of 13 founding shareholders of Dii which aims to support and prepare all necessary frameworks for renewable energy projects — including solar projects — located in deserts predominantly in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

In a company statement to PV-Tech, Siemens expressed that it still supports “the Dii idea” and will continue to stay closely connected to it. During its three year membership period, Siemens supported the Dii by providing technical expertise. Siemens now believes that Dii is equipped with the right knowledge to “effectively implement the ‘Desertec’ vision” in the MENA region.

Siemens also believes that Africa provides a great opportunity for the initiative and will help to create local jobs.
 

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