By SHARON UDASIN
10/11/2011 03:01
Officially launched last June, the 4.95-megawatt, NIS 80 million Ketura Sun field stands on an 80- dunam piece of land.
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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.
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Among 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.
http://www.jpost.com/Sci-Tech/Article.aspx?id=241259