DESERTEC is a large-scale project supported by a foundation of the same name and the consortium Dii (Desertec industrial initiative) created in Germany as a limited liability company (GmbH). The project aimed at creating a global renewable energy plan based on the concept of harnessing sustainable power from sites where renewable sources of energy are more abundant and transferring it through high-voltage direct current transmission to consumption centers. All kinds of renewable energy sources are envisioned, but the sun-rich deserts of the world play a special role.

There are some parallels between Desertec and the Atlantropa project plan in the 1920s. Atlantropa aimed to integrate Europe and Northern Africa and its electricity grid based on a giant hydro power station at Gibraltar.

The evolution of the project started in 2009 as Desertec 1.0, where the focus was on the transmission of renewable power from the MENA region to Europe. The next phase, Desertec 2.0, focused on meeting the domestic demand. The project failed twice due to the problem of transportation and cost-inefficiency. The initiative was revived in 2020 as Desertec 3.0, with a focus on green electrons and molecules, catering to both domestic demand and exports to foreign markets.