Obrist Group Pursues Giant Solar Gigaplants for European Energy Autonomy

The Obrist Group, a company specialized in energy technologies, is advancing a concept for large-scale methanol production from solar energy in high-insolation regions of Africa and the Middle East. Thorsten Rixmann, a representative of the group, advocates for a global methanol economy under European Union (EU) leadership. According to this vision, neither wind nor solar alone provides baseload energy—stable and continuously available—while Europe remains dependent on imports for its oil, gas, and coal.