Solar panels could be stationed in orbit in a huge multi-country project similar to the International Space Station, The National has been told.
The floating solar farm would collect the Sun's energy – with no clouds in the way – and beam it wirelessly back to Earth using electromagnetic waves.
A space summit in London was told the concept is “entering mainstream conversations” but a lack of funding is holding up research.
Nonetheless, making the technology viable by 2050 “sounds very doable”, said Paul Bate, the chief executive of the UK Space Agency, who called for countries to work together on the idea.
“Something that is beaming power down, we may well want to share that resource. It's not going to be based in any particular country,” he told The National.
“No one's ever built anything this big in space before. It's an order of magnitude bigger than anything anyone's built. So we have no monopoly on that expertise.
“Looking at something like the International Space Station, that's been built by multiple countries. We would expect that to be happening again here.”
Space bosses on Wednesday pledged support to an idea hailed as “truly transformational” in the search for clean, stable power sources.
Engineers have been tasked with working out how to make the novel technology workable and safe from space debris or sabotage.
A key benefit is that, unlike solar power on Earth, it would not be weather-dependent.
The UK “is trying to build a secure energy supply for when wind doesn’t blow and the Sun doesn’t shine”, said Energy Minister Amanda Solloway.
“That is precisely why space solar is just a fantastic opportunity and this is why we need to pursue it.”
As part of net-zero plans, the UK has a target to produce 70 gigawatts of solar power by 2035, a five-fold increase.
But space could take that “considerably higher – quite literally, and perhaps even 35,000km higher,” Ms Solloway said.
Britain is “determined to make sure we get the full potential of space solar in the future energy mix”, she said.
However, investment in the field “remains low” compared to other clean technology, said Josef Aschbacher, the head of the European Space Agency.
Some of the technology is in its infancy and there are questions about costs, debris and the huge size of the project.
One estimate is that a solar farm in orbit would be 17 times the size of the International Space Station, which is due for retirement in 2031.
There are doubts whether research commissioned by the European Space Agency will be ready in time for a 2025 deadline to decide whether to move forward.
Europe has also faced problems in independently launching spacecraft, especially after collaboration with Russia ended due to the war in Ukraine.
Officials want to see more energy companies signal their interest, with France's Engie involved in the mirror study and the UK branch of EDF looking into the impact of solar storms.
Mr Aschbacher said a “significant boost” in research funding would be vital and could bring wider benefits such as developing wireless transmission technology.
Nations at risk due to climate change – in pictures
The idea is that energy captured in space is picked up on Earth by a special antenna (a rectenna) hooked up to power grids.
An alternative being explored in France is to use mirrors stationed in space to reflect sunlight back to receivers on Earth.
“To accelerate the transition to clean energy, we need to innovate beyond conventional solutions,” Mr Aschbacher said.
“Space solutions such as space-based solar power hold immense promise in catalysing this change.”
A new solar power supply in 2050 would come too late to slash carbon emissions before then but could provide a longer-term “baseload”.
Mr Bate said tests on small-scale demonstrators would show whether “technological leaps” will make it possible before then or whether new barriers will emerge.
But “2050, so 25 years away, sounds very doable from the independent analysis to date, and it could be even sooner than that,” he said.
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Tips to stay safe during hot weather
- Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of fluids, especially water. Avoid alcohol and caffeine, which can increase dehydration.
- Seek cool environments: Use air conditioning, fans, or visit community spaces with climate control.
- Limit outdoor activities: Avoid strenuous activity during peak heat. If outside, seek shade and wear a wide-brimmed hat.
- Dress appropriately: Wear lightweight, loose and light-coloured clothing to facilitate heat loss.
- Check on vulnerable people: Regularly check in on elderly neighbours, young children and those with health conditions.
- Home adaptations: Use blinds or curtains to block sunlight, avoid using ovens or stoves, and ventilate living spaces during cooler hours.
- Recognise heat illness: Learn the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke (dizziness, confusion, rapid pulse, nausea), and seek medical attention if symptoms occur.
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Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
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Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
