Abengoa Solar Becomes Founding Partner of the Desertec Industrial Initiative Project

The project will promote renewable energy production in Northern Africa and the
Middle East for local use and exportation to Europe

DENVER--(Business Wire)--
Today in Munich, Germany, Abengoa Solar signed an agreement to join as a
founding member the Desertec Industrial Initiative, a project born under the
auspices of the Club of Rome and other institutions. This project seeks to
develop renewable energy production in the desert regions of Northern Africa and
the Middle East for both local use and for exportation to Europe.

This initiative, which has been promoted by Abengoa Solar and eleven other
international companies, is aimed at meeting 15 percent of Europe`s energy
needs, and a substantial part of the demand in Northern Africa and the Middle
East, via concentrated solar plants and other renewable sources of energy by
2050. Because the land in these regions provide superior solar radiation, it
will be possible to gain access to clean energy at a lower cost. Thus, the
project will have a very significant impact on the economic and social
development of Northern Africa, the Middle East, and Europe.

To this end, over the course of the next few years, the companies and
institutions comprising Desertec will develop a plan in conjunction with
governments and other stakeholders to enable future construction of power plants
based on solar energy and other renewable sources, in addition to the electrical
power transmission needed to transport part of this electricity to Europe.

Abengoa is a pioneer in the construction of solar power plants in Northern
Africa and the Middle East with two Integrated Solar Combined Cycle, ISCC,
plants in Ain-Ben-Mathar (Morocco) and Hassi-R`mel (Algeria).

Santiago Seage, CEO of Abengoa Solar, expressed his satisfaction upon signing
the agreement for the company to join this ambitious project, pointing out that
"Northern Africa and the Middle East are undoubtedly areas with a tremendous
solar energy potential, for both the region`s own use as well as exporting as
soon as we have the necessary infrastructure and regulatory measures in place.
This initiative should bring us closer to making this vision come true. Abengoa
Solar is contributing its expertise in innovative solar technologies to this
international group of partners."

Desertec Industrial Initiative founding members are ABB, Abengoa Solar, Cevital,
Deutsche Bank, EON, HSH Nordbank, Muenchener Rueca, M+W Zander, RWE, Schott
Solar, Siemens and Solar Millennium/MSM.

For more information about the Desertec Industrial Initiative, please visit
http://www.munichre.com/en/press/press_releases/2009/2009_07_13_press_release.aspx
or
http://www.desertec.org/en/press/press-releases/090713-01-assembly-desertec-industrial-initiative/.

Abengoa Solar focuses its activity on the development and application of
technologies for generating electrical power with the sun.
(www.abengoasolar.com)

Abengoa is a technology company that applies innovative solutions for
sustainability in the infrastructure, environmental and energy sectors. The
company is listed on the Spanish Stock Exchange and is present in more than
seventy countries, in which it operates through its five Business Units: Solar,
Bioenergy, Environmental Services, Information Technologies, and Industrial
Engineering and Construction (www.abengoa.com).

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Abengoa Solar
Kelly Cahill, 301-887-1060 x157
Kelly@renewcomm.com

Copyright Business Wire 2009