Israel’s largest energy project, headed by Noble Energy, started production on Tuesday. It is a natural gas well only 10 kilometers or 7 miles from shore, near the coast of Haifa. This is the first step in a multi-billion dollar natural gas export deal with countries like Egypt and Jordan that will start in the next weeks. 

Families with young children and pregnant women were looking for shelter in Tel Aviv for fear that exposure to the natural gas pollution might cause long term damage to their fetuses and children. Risks from release at sea are highlighted in this PDF developed by the EU. 

But due to Israel’s unusual security constraints –- or threats by Al Qaeda and the Hezbollah –– it had to build its gas rig much closer to shore than deemed environmentally safe by some country’s standards. The recommended distance is about 40 km or 30 miles. 

When the issue of safety was taken to court no one could refute in professional terms why it is unsafe so the judge let it go ahead despite coastal mayors concerns about cancer risks. This article links to a court ruling in Colorado where Noble Energy had to pay fines for polluting emissions. 

Texas-based Noble Energy and Israel’s Delek Drilling and Ratio Oil announced that operations had commenced this morning, and a significant amount of natural gas will be released to the sea. People in the city of Haifa are concerned and some have evacuated for fears over the damage from exposure. 

Polluting the Mediterranean?

Natural gas is a cleaner fuel but it is by no means renewable or environmentally sound. It burns cleaner but it produces greenhouses gases and pollution.

The gas off the Israeli coast began flowing from the offshore rig called Leviathan (means giant sea creature or whale in Hebrew) early this morning. The timing of when to start has been delayed time and time again but the operators needed to start the rig to meet their 2019 timeline. This is now the last day of the year.

This new operation now doubles the amount of Israeli-produced natural gas, according to Reuters.  Some $3.6 billion USD went into developing the Leviathan natural gas rig and operations and gas exports are soon to commence. 

“Israel is now an energy powerhouse, able to supply all its energy needs and gaining energy independence,” said Delek Drilling Chief Executive Officer Yossi Abu.

Guide to Israeli Solar Energy Companies

A subsea pipeline will transport the natural gas to Israel and to the consumers, also looking forward to paying less for electricity, currently generated by a mix of fossil fuels, coal and a small percentage of solar energy, about 2%. But paying less might just be a carrot dangling in the sky. Since Israel became more water independent with the installation of desalination plants the consumers in effect ended up paying more for water. 

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With Israeli electricity prices set to rise nearly 9%, government officials are trying to plan for the long-term, at least until the next energy crisis.

At a breakfast event this Tuesday in Tel Aviv sponsored by Washington-based international energy consulting company Petco, the Director General of Israel’s Ministry of Energy and Water Resources Shaul Zemach spoke about the challenges facing Israel as it struggles to keep up with rising electricity and gas demand.

Israel’s Public Utility Authority – Electricity is raising electricity prices because a shortage of natural gas supply and a projected increase in electricity demand this summer will literally max out the country’s grid. Unfortunately for Israelis, this is not the first time that demand will outpace supply for the tiny Middle Eastern country that, according to Zemach, cannot rely on its neighbors for back-up power.

“We cannot rely on natural gas that is imported from a foreign country,” Zemach told the fifty or so gathered energy industry professionals in Hebrew. “This was something we knew before the problems with Egypt. Even then, the situation was not stable, but at the time we did not put enough emphasis on diversifying the country’s energy portfolio.”

Although Israel has recently discovered several significant offshore natural gas wells in the Mediterranean Sea, only the Leviathan well—with over 400 BCM (billion cubic meters) of natural gas—has been tapped and connected with a pipeline to generators. But with over 40% of Israel’s electricity produced with natural gas, Leviathan is quickly emptying just as supply from post-revolution Egypt is dwindling.

Zemach said the government knew there would be a gap in supply as Leviathan drained and the newly discovered 200 BCM Tamar well was tapped, but the government mistakenly assumed that Egyptian natural gas would fill the gap.

“Everyone thought we could buy time,” said Zemach. So when the government realized that would not be happening, it scurried to begin development of the Tamar well, but a gap in supply this summer is still inevitable.

And because the Israeli grid is so dependant on natural gas, Zemach said it will be nearly impossible for the country to transition to alternative energy sources anytime in the near future.

“We are in a natural gas crisis, so we have to develop [the wells we have] as quickly as possible,” said Zemach. But like everything in Israel, obtaining the necessary permits has been challenging for natural gas developers that have to jump through the hoops of government bureaucracy and local residents that are fighting the construction of pipelines near their homes.

“Israel has become a crowded countries in terms of infrastruct ure, said Zemach. But he said the government has to do a better job of prioritizing national interests over the protests of local communities.

In 2010, Israel also faced an energy crisis and at the time the government approved construction of four emergency power plants. Currently 34% of Israel’s power is generated from coal. But only three of the plants were built which is why the PUA is still struggling to keep ahead of supply two years later. Zemach said that included in the demand numbers is a relatively generous cushion of excess energy that Israel feels is necessary because it cannot rely on a neighboring country for backup power.

While many small isolated countries have chosen to invest in renewables rather than import natural gas, Zemach said the lack of energy partnerships with neighboring countries makes the Israeli PUA uncomfortable relying on renewable energy for any significant amount of power.

And the lack of abundant water resources makes hydropower, which in many small countries a significant part of a renewable energy portfolio, an impossibility in Israel.

By 2020, the country has set a goal of 10% renewable power, but it is an initial goal that is being used only as a preliminary test, Zemach said in response to a question from GreenProphet. There is currently no plan for further expansion after the 2020 target is met. For that target, the PUA will develop wind (30% of total renewables) and biomass (21% of total renewables) but will focus heavily on solar. And for a country with nearly constant sunshine, that technology may prove most effective.

The post An Israel Alone, Dependant On Natural Gas appeared first on Green Prophet.

In honor of Earth Day, Israel’s Leviathan Energy will dedicate a small wind turbine to the Hilton Queen of Sheba in Eilat. The ceremony near the southern end of the Dead Sea will commence at 20h30 on March 24 this year. When Eilat’s fossil-powered lights go out, the lights powered by the small turbine will take their place. The first Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970 and has become one of the most internationally-recognized environmentally themed dedication days with 1 billion participants in 192 countries. (Read an interview with the Earth Day Network’s President Kathleen Rogers.)

Read more about Earth Day and Leviathan:

Interview with Earth Day Network Kathleen Rogers

Leviathan and Solaris Imagine if the Water for the Shower Can Create Energy To Turn On Lights

Israel Celebrates Earth Day With An Earth Hour Sweeping Across 14 Cities

The post Leviathan Energy To Dedicate Wind Turbine To Hilton Hotel appeared first on Green Prophet.

2010 year in review, Israel’s new wind tariff, Israel’s driest year, and more headlines related to Israeli cleantech and the environment.

Speculation continues on what Israel’s Leviathan gas find – the world’s largest gas discovery of the decade – will mean for Israel politically and economically and the impact it will have in the Middle East and rest of the world. Israel’s HCL CleanTech and Verint Energy received a grant for the research and development of converting wood into biofuel and Gulf countries looking to implement water treatment solutions are likely to turn to Israel for its expertise. For these stories and the rest of this week’s headlines, see below.

Leviathan Gas Find
Israel’s Leviathan Gas Find Will Have Widespread Repercussions for World Power

Forgotten in the gas rush

Solar
Solar Thin Films, Greensol sign LOI to form JV

In Video: Israeli Solar Tech in 2010 and 2011

Wind
Israel Offers a Too-Low Rate For Wind Feed-in Tariff

Water
Israel Well Positioned to Meet Growing Gulf Need for New Water

Investment
Virent Energy project wins $900,000 grant

Israel General
Israel Awakening to Cleantech

2010 was hottest year in Israel’s recorded history

Image via eschipul.

The post Israel Cleantech Intelligence: 2010 and 8 More Headlines appeared first on Green Prophet.

Leviathan’s Benkatina turbine makes hydro energy from right inside the pipes that run underneath cities (and up and down hills) carrying municipal waste water.

The company’s highly-efficient patent-pending hydroelectric turbine can make power in a wide range of conditions in carrying various kinds of liquids, including fresh and waste water, rain water and industrial run-off, and water flowing through gutters and drainage canals.

The award is to fund a prototype to be developed in partnership with two Italian companies, to be tested in the Alps in Northern Italy, Planet Energy News is reporting. Leviathan’s hydro turbine can be integrated into any existing or planned downhill flow system.

The partnering companies are ENCO Engineering Consultants SRL, an international civil engineering consultancy that does feasibility studies and testing, and Fontana SRL that manufactures heavy-duty industrial equipment. They might have an interest in a future product for an as yet untapped market.

“Fontana SRL and ENCO SRL, partners de facto in the hydroelectric power plant construction sector, have been looking for products suitable for their niche market and Leviathan’s represents a great opportunity for them to reach this market, which is still in an embryonic state,” the partners said in a statement.

The goal is to produce and then monitor production from a scale model able to produce 50 kilowatts per hour, with the idea of getting it to the huge European market. Forty EU countries are members of EUREKA, which is devoted to sharing industrial R&D among member nations to speed development of innovative technology. In 2000, Israel was invited to join the group as the only non-EU member.

In early tests it looks like Israel’s Leviathan turbine is able to very cost-effectively make electricity at an estimated $2,000 per KW, but so far only smaller prototypes have been installed. Their turbine now produces enough electricity to power the adjacent needs of the system in the national water company system operated by Mekorot, and a system has been sold to a city in the Philippines.

Municipal water supplies provide a surprisingly consistent and untapped resource of hydro-electric potential. Another very clever idea from Israel.

::Leviathan

::Leviathan Energy

More on Israeli innovation
How Israel’s New Tech is Watering the Economy
Israeli Companies Winners in GE Ecovation Marathon
Israel’s Eliat Region Could be Middle East’s Cleantech Beta Site

The post Leviathan Gets EUREKA Grant to Tap Municipal Hydro Power appeared first on Green Prophet.

Solaris Synergy and Leviathan were named Israel’s leading early stage environmental technologies at this year’s Clean Tech Open IDEAS Competition. CNN aired a feature on wastewater reclamation in Israel and IT-water management company TaKaDu raised an undisclosed sum from Emerald Technology Ventures. For these stories and the rest of this week’s headlines, see below.

Contests
Solaris Synergy, Leviathan win national cleantech contest

Israel, Iran Take Top 2 Endangered Species Design Prizes

Water
Israel Reclaims Water Using Nuclear Technology – On CNN

Emerald Technology Ventures backs Israeli water monitoring company TaKaDu

Water IT Startup TaKaDu Gets More VC, Fixes Leaks

Local firm gets European grant for hydro-electric power

Water Treatment
Arid Israel recycles waste water on grand scale

Israel launches water treatment base in China

Electric Vehicle
13 “Better Place” Cars Hit the Streets of Israel To Test “Charge”

Missed last week’s headlines edition? Catch up on efforts to fight desertification, hunger in Africa, and more.

Image via koshyk.

The post Israel Cleantech Intelligence: TaKaDu and 8 More Headlines appeared first on Green Prophet.