WRITTEN QUESTION No. 3547/97 by José VALVERDE LÓPEZ to the Commission. Generation of photovoltaic energy using space platforms
Date: 1997-11-12
Institutions: European Parliament, VALVERDE LOPEZ
Subjects: electrical energy, photovoltaic cell, power plant, production cost, scientific research, solar energy, space station

25. 5. 98

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 158/149

This requires the construction of a new section with a tunnel in Guadarrama, connecting the service to the whole
of the north-east peninsula. However, the national budget estimates cover only a small part of the amount needed
for this project to bring high-speed trains to Galicia, which needs them as a matter of urgency.

Does  the  Commission  consider  that  assistance  with  the  cost  of  bringing  high-speed  trains  to  Galicia,
173 500 million pesetas in total, could be provided from the cohesion funds allocated to Spain and does it believe
that  the  need  to  break  the  region(cid:146)s  isolation  from  the  rail  network  should  prompt  the  Community  to  show
solidarity and make these funds available?

Answer given by Mrs Wulf- Mathies on behalf of the Commission

(22 December 1997)

So  far,  the  Commission  has  not  received  any  request  from  the  Spanish  authorities  for  part-financing  by  the
Cohesion Fund of the project in question. It cannot decide on any part-financing until it has received and studied
such a request.

(98/C 158/198)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3547/97

by Jose· Valverde Lo·pez (PPE) to the Commission

(12 November 1997)

Subject: Generation of photovoltaic energy using space platforms

Neither the multiannual programme for renewable energy sources nor the new research programme includes
plans for producing photovoltaic energy using space platforms.

However, according to scientific literature, the exploitation of solar energy in space has great future potential.

What information has the Commission received on this matter from its scientific advisory committees?

Answer given by Mrs Cresson on behalf of the Commission

(10 December 1997)

The  Commission  is  aware  of  numerous  articles,  especially  in  popular  science  journals,  about  orbiting  space
stations equipped with gigantic photovoltaic panels to convert solar radiation into electric energy.

As the atmosphere absorbs a significant part of the solar radiation, terrestrial photovoltaic power plants need
bigger  surfaces  for  the  same  power  output.  They  are,  however,  much  cheaper  to  install  than  orbiting  space
stations.  Furthermore,  the  electric  current  produced  can  be  used  directly  and  does  not  require  conversion  to
potentially dangerous microwave beams for power transmission to huge antennas on the earth(cid:146)s surface.

The Commission does, however, encourage research on special photovoltaic cells for space applications such as
gallium-arsenide semiconductors, because these cells can be usefully employed in terrestrial photovoltaic power
plants with concentrating lenses and mirrors.

(98/C 158/199)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3554/97

by Petrus Cornelissen (PPE) to the Commission

(12 November 1997)

Subject: Tourist tax

Concern has arisen in the Netherlands tourism sector over the growing number of local authorities that wish to
introduce or increase tourist taxes to compensate for revenue shortfalls.