Representatives of Israeli and Palestinian partner companies pose after reaching agreement on joint venture for wind power. (Courtesy photo)
Cynics might say that diplomatic attempts to foster Palestinian-Israeli relations are too often “full of hot air.” But a new green Israeli-Palestinian initiative aims to put politics aside and harness the winds blowing across the Green Line to generate electricity for factories, offices and private homes in the West Bank.
According to a joint press release, the Israel Wind Power cleantech company and the Bethlehem-based Brothers Group Engineering company will form a joint venture to manufacture, market and install wind turbines capable of independently generating 2 to 50 kW.
“Business collaboration in the area of wind energy is something which will be for the benefit of everyone. It will serve as a bridge of peace for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” declared Dr. Mohammed Salem, CEO of the Palestinian partner company.
Israel Wind Power, which boasts over a decade of international experience in product development and manufacturing technology, will provide its Palestinian counterpart with technological know-how and professional training, as well as assistance in financing. “We will be for our Palestinians friends and colleagues a pipeline for their products to be marketed both in Israel and abroad,” said Yoram Suissa, the company’s business development manager.
Brothers Engineering Group, established in 2006, has so far developed and installed five wind turbine systems to create electricity with a capacity of 2 kW for private homes, collected by batteries.
The joint venture is expected to be up and running within a year. “We believe that this is an example of the ability of ordinary people to bridge gaps between our communities, especially during these stormy days,” Dr. Salem said.
::Israel Wind Power website (Hebrew only)
::Brothers Group Engineering website(English, Arabic and Hebrew)
Read related green news on Green Prophet:
Can Israel’s Wind Power Sector Compete with Solar?
MENA Geothermal Powers West Bank Palestine Geothermally
Author: Ira Moskowitz
When his kids were small, Ira would point to litter on the ground and tell them: “That makes me angry!” He still gets angry about pollution, waste and abusive treatment of our world, but is encouraged by the growing awareness of environmental issues and has been following the latest developments in cleantech with great interest. Ira grew up in the green hills of western Massachusetts and moved to Israel in the early 1980s after completing an MA in Middle Eastern Studies. He has worked as a software developer and journalist, and translates works of Hebrew fiction and non-fiction to English. Ira is trying to age gracefully, but refuses to surrender his youthful belief in the potential for change, including a collaborative future for the peoples of the Middle East. To contact Ira, email ira (at) greenprophet (dot) com.
Comments are closed.