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TECHNOLOGY Saturday 7 January 2017

Israel harnessing sunshine with world’s tallest solar tower

ISAAC SCHARF
ALON BERNSTEIN
Associated Press
ASHALIM, Israel (AP) — In
sunny Israel, solar energy
supplies only a small per-
centage of the nation’s
power needs, leaving it
far behind countries with
cloudier and colder cli-
mates.
Now the fledgling solar in-
dustry is trying to make a
leap forward with a large-
scale project boasting the
world’s tallest solar tower,
as a symbol of Israel’s re-
newal energy ambitions.
With Israel traditionally run-
ning its economy on fossil
fuels, renewable energy
has long been hobbled by
bureaucracy and a lack of
incentives. But the country
is starting to make an effort,
setting a goal of generat-
ing 10 percent of its energy
from renewable sources by
2020, up from the current
2.5 percent.
The Ashalim project, deep
in the Negev desert, is In this Dec. 22, 2016 photo, 50,000 mirrors, known as heliostats, encircle the solar tower in the Negev desert, near in Ashelim, south-
made up of three plots, ern Israel.
with a fourth planned for Associated Press
the future, each with a dif- ters (820 feet). at Ashalim will be able to some of the world’s most its small goals regarding so-
ferent solar technology. Solar towers use a method store energy even when advanced solar energy lar energy.”
Together, the fields will be differing from the more the sun goes down. A third equipment and enjoys a Israel has often been re-
Israel’s largest renewable common photovoltaic so- plot will use photovoltaic nearly endless supply of luctant to hand out huge
energy project when com- lar panels, which convert solar technology to pro- sunshine. But Israeli solar parcels of land, a neces-
pleted by 2018. sunlight directly into elec- duce energy. companies, frustrated by sity for large-scale solar
They are set to generate tricity. Instead, towers use Yaron Szilas, CEO of Shikun government bureaucracy, power production, Gartner
some 310 megawatts of a solar-thermal method: & Binui Renewable Ener- have mostly taken their ex- said. Large projects also
power, about 1.6 percent Thousands of mirrors fo- gy, the lead developer of pertise abroad. demand access to state-
of the country’s energy cus the sun’s rays onto the the second solar-thermal Countries with cooler cli- owned infrastructure like
needs — enough for about tower, heating a boiler that plot, said combining the mates have outpaced Isra- gas, water and electricity,
130,000 households, or creates steam to spin a tur- three technologies was a el. Germany, for example, and connecting to those
roughly 5 percent of Israel’s bine and generate elec- wise move because each gets nearly 30 percent of utilities out in remote plants
population, according to tricity. has its own advantage. The its energy from renewable in the Negev desert often
Israel’s Electricity Authority. Encircling the Ashalim tow- amount of electricity it pro- sources. takes time.
“It’s the most significant er are 50,000 mirrors, known duces will be comparable “Israel has a potential to be Israel’s Finance Ministry
single building block in Is- as heliostats, in a shimmer- to large-scale solar fields in a sunshine superpower,” said the price of generat-
rael’s commitment to CO2 ing blanket of glass over California and Chile. said Leehee Goldenberg, ing solar power in Israel has
reduction and renewable the desert. There are around a dozen director of the department come down, and the min-
energy,” said Eran Gartner, The tower is so tall because solar tower fields around of economy and environ- istry has pushed new laws
chief executive of Mega- the panels were squeezed the world, the largest being ment at the Israel Union for to promote the industry.
lim Solar Power Ltd., which together to maximize use the Ivanpah plant in Cali- Environmental Defense, a Recent legislation has also
is building one part of the of the land — and the clos- fornia with some 170,000 non-governmental organi- provided incentives and
project. er the panels are the taller heliostats around three zation. Despite some steps cut down some of the bu-
The centerpiece is a so- the tower must be, Gartner 140-meter-tall (460-foot) in the right direction, “Isra- reaucracy for Israelis want-
lar tower that will be the explained. towers. el’s government hasn’t re- ing to install solar panels on
world’s tallest at 250 me- Another solar-thermal plot Israel has developed ally been pushing to reach their roofs.q