Man-made project could turn arid city into an oasis

Washington, Jan 22 (ANI): A new man-made project to pump water from the Red Sea into the dry coastal city of Aqaba, Jordan, could turn it into an oasis.

The government of Jordan has given a go-ahead for the project.The 50-acre demonstration facility, which will combine two technologies - seawater greenhouses and concentrated solar power to grow crops, produce carbon neutral energy and desalinate seawater, could be operational by 2012.

Sahara Forest Project, an environmental technology group based in Norway is spearheading the project, reports Discovery News.

The seawater greenhouse will use the abundant sunlight in Jordan and use it to evaporate seawater and condense it into fresh water, while a naturally cool and humid environment will be created - perfect for growing crops.

The solar power plant will use mirrors to focus sunlight onto pipes of fluid. The super-heated fluid boils and the steam is captured to drive a turbine generator, which produces electricity.

The technology could also be used to tranform existing, large-scale greenhouses used to grow acres of crops, into more efficient facilities.

If successful, the project could be a model food and energy facility for the future. (ANI)