DII chief executive Paul van Son says the group’s ambitions no longer stop at renewables. “We’re not only looking at ­electricity as a carrier [of ­energy], but also natural gas,” he acknowledges.

The move would reverse its stated mission to exclusively pursue “sun and wind energy sources” across North Africa.

One idea is for DII members to build utility-scale renewables plants in North Africa in exchange for natural gas, van Son says.