How did Israel turn its resource shortage into national power?

Although the government knows that construction costs are very high, they still do not hesitate to pay that construction fee to ensure a solid future for their country.

Not talking about the country being destroyed by war and terrorism, the country also faces many difficulties in everyday life due to extreme weather conditions.

According to climate reports, 70% of Israel's average rainfall is in November and March, with no raindrops between June and August. The amount of precipitation falls not evenly across regions and decreases significantly, as close to the vast Negev desert, where annual rainfall falls below 100mm.

The Negev Desert occupies more than half of Israel.

Difficulties in Israel

Occupying more than half of the country's land area, the Negev desert must be used thoroughly by Israel so as not to waste this country's already scarce land resources. Up to 85% of this huge desert area is used by Israel for military training purposes, the rest are residential areas, factories, airports .

Lack of resources and environmental pollution, the Middle East country still aches to find a clean resource for many years and they see that potential in the Negev desert stretching south of the country. This dry, uncultivated land makes them find another way to develop, and what's more reasonable than building solar power plants in the most sunny land in this country?

What is more reasonable than building solar power plants in the most sunny land in this country?

As clean energy projects are gradually deployed, they start building solar energy harvesting plants. But it doesn't stop there, Israel's ambition is that it can meet 10% of the country's total energy with clean energy by 2020 and mostly, that energy will come from the Sun.

Right now, engineers are working on installing 55,000 mirrors, aiming to provide sunlight for the world's tallest solar tower, located in the Negev Desert itself. This tower can be seen as a symbol of the hope of this country putting into renewable energy.

When completed at the end of 2017, the Ashalim Tower, 240 meters high, is made of stainless steel that looks like a lighthouse on the hot stone of the Negev Desert, you will be able to see from the distance. more than ten kilometers away.

Israel built the world's tallest solar tower, located in the Negev desert itself.

Surrounding it is an immense, 3-square-meter mirror field spread over a large area, directing sunlight to the ground above the top of Ashalim Tower . The temperature of the top of the tower is expected to reach 600 degrees Celsius, producing steam that will be carried down to the base of the tower, where the system will generate electricity.

The total cost of this "great Israeli hope" is estimated at more than US $ 570 million, invested by US General Electric and French company Alstom and Israel's private investment fund Noy.

The project started in 2013, towards the country's 25-year electricity use plan, wishing to mark a milestone in the production of renewable energy and energy use independently.

The price paid for investing in the world's tallest solar tower

Historically, Israel has mainly produced electricity from coal, natural gas and oil plants. When they discovered a gas field in the Mediterranean, everything seemed to be going smoothly.

But solar energy is different, although a small investment is needed, but the long-term cost will not be as high as producing electricity from the heat of fuel. This is a huge investment, because the energy produced from a solar tower will be two to three times more expensive than gas and fuel production, according to Eran Gartner, CEO. of Megalim Solar Power, who is in charge of the Ashalim tower construction project.

Eran Gartner, CEO of Megalim Solar Power, is explaining the details of their giant project.

When completed, the tower will supply 121 megawatts of electricity per hour, which is equal to 1% of the electricity needs of the entire country of Israel or enough for a city with 120,000 households. Moreover, this work will avoid emissions to 110,000 tons of CO2 per energy, providing more than 1,000 jobs for Israelis.

Besides that impressive figure is the ambition of this 8 million-nation country, that they will reach the milestone of providing 10% of national energy demand with renewable energy by 2020.

"The government agrees to build Ashalim with this technology, although they know the cost will be much higher than traditional energy production. They have looked at the good side, that is the cost. As time goes on, the second or third tower continues to be built, " said Gartner, envisioning a large area of ​​the Negev desert with such solar towers.

When completed, the tower will provide 121 megawatts of electricity per hour or enough for a city with 120,000 households.

According to paper calculations, Israel will satisfy the nation's energy needs and only need to use up to 4% of the potential area in the Negev desert, said Eitan Parnass, chairman of Israel Green Energy Organization.

Huge mirror fields

Finding a natural gas field outside the Mediterranean obviously helps the country to be less dependent on energy use, but its national goal is to avoid relying on the use of a resource.

Ashalim tower will be supplied with heat with 55,000 reflective mirrors.

Solar energy has gradually become a part of life in Israel for many years, where there have been roofs with solar panels for use.

Solar tower technology along with a mirror field can only be effectively carried out on a large scale, the technology is different from the use of each solar panel that acts as a small generator. The Ashalim tower will be supplied with heat with 55,000 reflective mirrors, and these mirrors will act as sunflowers, when they face their mirrors to the path of the sun.

Solar energy has gradually become a part of life in Israel for many years.

Solar towers have been built in many parts of the world, in Morocco, South Africa. California is home to the tallest tower with a height of 137 meters, located in Ivanpah, the Mojave desert.

"We have multiplied the mirrors in Ashalim by three times compared to previous generations," said Gartenr.
"Everything is connected to a wi-fi network instead of using a wire. The tower is also designed to be the most economical. We do everything to get the best performance at the lowest possible cost."

The tower also shows us that the Israeli government is willing to pay a high cost to receive long-term benefits.

At the end of 2017, the Ashalim tower is expected to be the highest solar tower in the world, will officially come into operation. This will be an energy solution for Israel, besides using clean energy is to avoid environmental pollution, the problem of every country on Earth at this time. The tower also shows us that the Israeli government is willing to pay a high cost in order to receive long-term benefits, in order to develop its country steadily and readily with future plans.