Israel Grants 609 MW in Solar and Storage Capacity in Latest Tender

The Israel Electricity Authority has published the list of winners in the latest tender awarding 609 MW capacity in solar with storage projects

The Israel Electricity Authority has published the list of winners in its latest renewable energy tender round, with multiple bids accepted for the development of a combined 609 MW capacity in solar technology combined with storage capacity, for facilities connected to the distribution network.

A total of ten bidders participated with more than 55 bids submitted – having a cumulative capacity of 870 megawatts. But the authority accepted 33 proposals from 7 different bidders with a cumulative capacity of 609 megawatts. The price of electricity to be paid to the winning bidders is 17.45 ag per kWh, which is 12 percent lower than the price set in the first tender.

The Minister of Energy, Dr. Yuval Steinitz stated, “As part of the government’s policy for the production of electricity from solar energy, we are promoting a historic plan for the integration of electricity storage, which will allow the use of electricity even when the sun is not shining. The results of the auction are a huge success, in terms of the low price we received, which is lower than the first auction conducted this year, and in terms of the amount of electricity that will be stored.

“This is a significant step that will allow us to reach the goal I set – about 30% of electricity production from solar energy by 2030, and transporting Israel within a few years to the first place in the world in the production of electricity from the sun,” Dr. Yuval added.

The storage capacity integrated with the solar facility allows producing a larger amount of clean electricity for the given connection to the network. Additionally, the storage allows the electricity to flow into the grid in the evening, which are the hours when the electricity system needs it.

The selected bidders will be required to set up a solar facility within two and a half years combined with a storage facility with a capacity of at least 4 hours of storage. This means a total capacity of more than 2400 megawatts per hour is expected to be built.

“The Electricity Authority continues to implement the policy of switching to green energy and integrating storage in the economy, in the most effective way for the benefit of all consumers and the public in Israel,” said Acting Chairman of the Electricity Authority Yoav Katzboy.