Saharan storms ‘threaten Europe's solar power future'

A growing atmospheric phenomenon is complicating Europe's path towards climate and energy security targets, scientists have warned. Mineral dust carried on the wind from the Sahara could hamper Europe's reliance on solar energy, the European Geosciences Union General Assembly (EGU25) heard. In their presentation at EGU25, Dr Gyorgy Varga and collaborators from Hungarian and European institutions said dust-laden skies disrupt photovoltaic (PV) performance and challenge existing forecasting models. Their work, using field data from more than 46 Saharan dust events between 2019 and 2023, spans both Central Europe (Hungary) and Southern Europe (Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, and Greece). The Sahara releases billions of tonnes of fine dust into the atmosphere every year, and tens of millions of tonnes reach European skies. These particles scatter and absorb sunlight, reduce irradiance at the surface, and can even promote cloud formation – all of which degrade PV output. Previous research has shown dust storms have a significant effect on climate change. Fine desert dust blown across the ocean can also make the rain heavier by changing the size of cloud droplets. UAE researchers also found dust travelling from the Sahara to the Alps causes snowy pistes and glaciers to turn a dramatic red, pink or orange. Huge plumes of dust also get transported from North Africa to the Arctic, which could have stark consequences for climate change, research from New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) has found. A study of a 2011 cyclone over Morocco found it carried 38 million tonnes of dust, depositing 1.3 million tonnes of it in the Arctic. Prof Benjamin Murray, an atmospheric scientist at Leeds, told The National: "Dust from places like the Sahara has long been known to be important for the planet's climate. It reflects sunlight back into space so affects climate directly." The researchers found that conventional forecasting tools which study average particle levels in the atmosphere miss the mark during these events. Instead, the team recommends integrating near-real-time data on dust levels with cloud particles into forecasting models. This would allow for more reliable scheduling of solar energy and better preparedness for the variability introduced by atmospheric dust. 'There's a growing need for dynamic forecasting methods that account for both meteorological and mineralogical factors,' said Mr Varga. 'Without them, the risk of underperformance and grid instability will only grow as solar becomes a larger part of our energy mix.' Beyond atmospheric effects, the team also pointed to the long-term impacts of dust on the physical infrastructure of solar panels, including contamination and erosion – factors that can further reduce efficiency and increase maintenance costs. This research was supported by the National Research, Development and Innovation Office the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and the EU-funded National Multidisciplinary Laboratory for Climate Change.

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