Israel’s Ministry of Finance reported that a fourth solar power plant in Ashlim – an area located about 20 miles south of Be’er Sheva in the Negev desert – has completed the construction phase and will begin to provide electricity to Israel’s national the grid.

Ashlim Solar Park Ltd. (through IDF Energy Noble Israel Ltd.), which won the accountant general’s tender for the construction and operation of a 40 megawatt solar power plant with photovoltaic technology, has completed the acceptance tests of the facility and received from the state the approval of the beginning of the commercial operation of the facility.

The station joins the three solar power plants that were promoted as part of the Accountant General’s tenders in the Ashlim area, and will provide electricity at the cheapest price in the electricity sector in Israel – about 8 shekels per kWh.

Together, the four stations in Ashlim – two thermo-solar power plants and two photovoltaic power plants – will provide electricity to the economy in a total volume of over 300 megawatts.

An additional solar complex in Ashlim with a capacity of up to 100 megawatts and a solar complex near Dimona with a capacity of up to 300 megawatts are also being planned. Together, the projects are expected to reach a total volume of over 700 megawatts, and their rate is expected to be about 50% of the total ground solar projects connected to the transmission network.

The current project, said the government, along with the future projects, will help reduce emissions in the economy and are critical milestones on Israel’s path to achieving the government’s goals for producing electricity from renewable energies, which stand at 30% by 2030.

Image - Yonatan Sindel/Flash90