In an effort to boost its alternative energy supply, Israel wants to encourage the development of wind farms in the Negev and Arava areas of the country and has prepared a draft tender which is currently the subject of public consultation.
The draft document offers entrepreneurs the option of leasing land to test its suitability for a wind farm. If the land is found appropriate, the entrepreneur will have the right to build a wind farm on it under a 25-year lease. According to the draft tender, the timeframe for testing and planning a wind farm could be as long as six years after winning a tender to test a plot of land.
Israel currently only has one wind farm, Mei Golan Wind Energy, located on the Golan Height's Mount Bnei Rasan which generates a paltry six MW. However, Afcon Idustries Group, one of Israel's largest and leading industrial enterprises, recently signed an agreement with the Israel Electric Corporation (IEC) to build two wind farms in the Lower Galilee with an output estimated at 40-50 MW.
Wind power starts gaining ground
While Israel may not enjoy the same amount of wind resources as other countries such as Spain, Denmark and Germany, where wind power is already well established, former IEC employee, Dr. Eli Ben-Dov, has found that wind potential does exist in Israel. Ben-Dov has been mapping the country's wind potential for over 30 years, yet despite years of lobbying to gain state support for wind power, first from within the IEC and then as a private entrepreneur and scientist, he has had very little success until recently.
Last year, the Israeli cabinet adopted a decision which set a goal of producing 10% of Israel's electricity from renewable sources by 2020 and as a result, the Ministry of National Infrastructures has been implementing a number of alternative energy plans, including those focusing on wind. Although Israel's main "energy crop" will continue to remain solar, with feed-in tariffs being introduced, the ministry wants to encourage wind farms as well. Moreover, Israeli start-ups such as Leviathan Energy are working on new turbines that produce electricity at very low wind speeds, and which could be used to tap Israel’s limited wind resources.
This summer, the IEC also granted a license to mineral water company Mey Golan (the same company that built Israel’s first wind farm more than 15 years ago) to build a $500 million, 400 MW wind farm comprising around 150 turbines spread over 140 km of the Golan Heights. The turbines will be constructed in partnership with US energy giant AES Corporation between Majdal Shams and Alonei Habashan, predominantly on privately-owned plots.
The draft wind farm tender is available on the Ministry of National Infrastructures’ website for comment until 30 September and the public are being encouraged to give their input for the final version.
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