If all goes as plans, this ibex will be sharing the Negev with three solar power plants at Ashelim.
Israel’s Ministry of Finance hosted ten companies last week to present its tender for a 30-megawatt photovoltaic (PV) power plant at the Ashelim site in the Negev desert, the Globes business newspaper reported. The NIS 450 million BOT (build, operate, transfer) project is the smaller part of Israel’s flagship solar project at Ashelim, which is slated to also include two 110-megawatt thermal plants.
The ministry believes the tender for the photovoltaic power station will move forward more smoothly and quickly than its thermosolar counterpart: At one time, as many as seven international consortia were lining up to compete in the tender to build the thermal plants, estimated to cost some $1.5 billion. But after the oft-delayed tender was finally published in July, only three consortia have submitted bids. The deadline for submitting bids for the PV plant will be in the first quarter of 2011.
The ten companies attending the ministry’s presentation for the PV plant included Israeli companies – Minrav Holdings, Supergas, Clal Energy, Shikun u’Binui, and Paz Solar, as well as international participants – Siemens (Germany) and EDF (France).
See related posts on Green Prophet:
Dropouts Threaten Viability of Israel’s Ashelim Solar Tender
Germany’s Solar Millennium AG Pulls out of Israel Bid
