From the Green Dam to the Agrivoltaic Green Belt: Reengineering Algeria's Ecological Defense through Advanced Solar-Pastoral Infrastructure

This study proposes a large-scale integrated infrastructure concept designed to simultaneously address Algeria's environmental, energy, and food-security challenges. The proposed project consists of an east-west agrivoltaic corridor extending approximately 1,200 km across the High Plateaus region with an average width of 5 km, representing a total geographic footprint of roughly 600,000 hectares. The concept combines utility-scale photovoltaic generation based on next-generation N-Type TOPCon bifacial modules with sustainable pastoral management, localized manufacturing investment, and ecosystem restoration. Unlike conventional solar farms, the proposed corridor is designed as a dual-use landscape in which renewable energy production coexists with livestock grazing, rangeland rehabilitation, and antidesertification measures. Scenario-based engineering assessments suggest a potential installed solar capacity ranging between 75 GW and 150 GW depending on land utilization density and final engineering design. The project is further envisioned as a foundational platform for future green hydrogen production, supporting Algeria's long-term energy-export strategy while preserving domestic natural-gas resources. In addition to energy generation, the corridor functions as a modern ecological defense system capable of reducing wind erosion, improving soil moisture retention, and enhancing pastoral productivity. Under favorable management conditions, the corridor could support between 0.8 and 1.5 million sheep through a combination of natural grazing, supplementary fodder production, and solar-powered groundwater systems. To ensure long-term structural viability, a robust dual-investment framework combining public and private capital is outlined to fully localize the solar manufacturing value chain within Algeria. The proposed framework is not presented as a final feasibility study but rather as a strategic pre-feasibility model intended to guide future engineering, environmental, financial, and policy assessments.