IfaS Press Release | May 17, 2025
Under the patronage of Prof. Dr. Peter Heck, Managing Director of the Institute for Applied Material Flow Management (IfaS) and initiator of the project, the 3rd International Conference of the Sahara Renaissance Project (SAREP) was held on May 14, 2025, at the Environmental Campus Birkenfeld.
The event took place under the guiding theme:
“Greening the Sahara – Shaping the Future with Technology, Research, and International Cooperation.”
SAREP pursues the pioneering vision of transforming large parts of the Sahara into usable, livable spaces through innovative technologies, sustainable land use, and international partnerships. The focus lies on reforesting desert areas using seawater desalination powered by renewable energy sources such as photovoltaics and wind power.
Following presentations at previous years’ conferences and a highly regarded appearance at COP28 in Dubai, the project has gained international attention. The government of Mauritania is actively supporting the initiative: an interministerial committee has been established, and a letter of intent promises the provision of 2 million hectares of land for a period of up to 90 years. The land is to be fully greened within the next ten years – with ambitious goals: 400,000 new jobs and significant improvements in food and water security for the local population. SAREP is funded through carbon credits for the amounts of sequestered carbon and by selling biomass, water, and minerals.
Initial implementation steps are already planned: later this year, a desalination plant for 1,000 cubic meters of fresh water is to be built, and a pilot area of 50 hectares will be planted. Specifically, 5 ha of onions, 6 ha of Paulownia trees, 2 ha of Jatropha and Moringa, and 37 ha of windbreak trees such as Prosopis, Tamarix, and Casuarina will be cultivated.
The start-up phase of the project requires 10 million euros. These funds will be provided for the initial phase through a Luxembourg-based company. The managing director of DIESA, based in Luxembourg, participated as a speaker at the conference.
Among the conference’s distinguished guests were:
- State Secretary Michael Hauer, Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Energy and Mobility of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate
- Mohamed Yeslem Beihatt, Secretary General of the Regional Council of Inchiri (Mauritania)
- Sidi Khalifa, Secretary General of the Association of Mayors of Mauritania and former Foreign Minister
- Yaghoub Ahmed Aicha, Secretary General at the Ministry of Economy and Finance (Mauritania)
The main topics of the conference included:
- The introduction of leading knowledge and technology partners contributing to the implementation of SAREP with their innovative approaches
- The presentation of the first planned pilot area: an approximately 50-hectare agroforestry project intended to serve as a model for future measures
- Introduction to financing strategies from national and international funders
The Habitat demonstration model, unveiled as a world first at the Environmental Campus, illustrated the vast potential for producing drinking water from seawater. The Habitat, developed by the company Energethik, desalinated seawater in a tent the size of a football field and enabled food cultivation in desert regions.
Award:
In 2024, SAREP was honored with a commendation as part of the “Future Enterprises” competition by Minister-President Alexander Schweitzer, Deputy Chair of the Zukunftsinitiative Rheinland-Pfalz e. V. The award recognizes projects that exemplarily combine digitalization and sustainability.
This kick-off conference marked a central milestone in the implementation of the SAREP strategy. It impressively demonstrated the growing interest of international partners and the vast potential of technology-based solutions to address global challenges such as climate change, water scarcity, and land degradation.