The Public Utility Authority granted Arava Power Company’s Ketura Sun facility
the country’s first permanent production license for a medium-sized solar field
on Monday, the authority announced late that afternoon.
Officially
launched last June, the 4.95-megawatt, NIS 80 million Ketura Sun field stands on
an 80- dunam piece of land.
RELATED:
First solar field to be launched in Arava's Kibbutz KeturaAmong the stipulations of the field’s new
license is a guarantee that Israel Electric Corporation will purchase
electricity from the field for 20 years, at a tariff fixed for the duration of
the license, according to a statement from the PUA.
To date, the PUA has
granted 188 conditional licenses to solar fields.
“We are very grateful
to the PUA and IEC for their professionalism in advancing these solar licenses,
symbolizing green energy hope for the people of Israel,” said Jon Cohen, CEO of
Arava Power Company, in a statement.
“Independent clean energy from
Israel’s periphery stands in contrast to the oil, gas and coal monopolies
currently fueling – and polluting – the State of Israel.”
The permanent
license and consequent interconnection to the national grid for Ketura Sun
follows the awarding of 11 other solar provisional licenses to Arava Power
Company for a total of 68 megawatts worth approximately NIS 1.1 billion, the
company said.