Israel reveals bidders for 300 MW solar-plus-storage tender in Negev Desert

The Israeli government has revealed the bidders that will compete in the final phase of the tender launched in January 2020 for a 300 MW solar power plant in the Negev desert.

The list features 24 bidders in total; these include a consortium comprising real estate developer Global Sun Israel, L.P. and Chinese state-owned project contractor China National Technical Import and Export Corporation (CNTIC); Israeli solar developer Solegreen Ltd; a group of companies including Power China Resources, which is a unit of Power Construction Corporation of China Ltd., and Israeli companies Adi Zim Holdings Ltd. and Ramet Ltd.; a consortium formed by Israel-based developer of open-air shopping centers, BIG Shopping Centers LTD, and LR Group Ltd., which is a local provider of business consulting services. Spanish solar company Solarpack entered a bid in partnership with Israeli real estate investment trust Keystone REIT Ltd.; Invenergy Israel LLC, the local unit of US-based renewable energy company Invenergy; and Israeli energy provider OPC Energy Ltd.

The tender also received bids from a consortium comprising project contractor Allied Infrastructure Ltd. and general contracting services provider OrmatSystems Ltd; Israeli electric equipment provider Afcon Holdings Ltd. in partnership with Chinese construction and engineering company China Machinery Engineering Corporation; a group including Israeli companies Edelcom Ltd. and Edeltech Holdings 2006 Ltd; Israel's Shikun & Binui Energy Ltd.; Meshakim Energy Dimona L.P.; Zoko Power Gas Ltd.; Energix Renewable Energies Ltd.; China Energy Engineering Group Planning & Engineering Co., Ltd.; Spanish group Cobra Instalaciones Y Servicios, S.A.; Norway's Scatec Solar ASA; a consortium formed by Shapir Civil & Marine Engineering Ltd. and El-Mor Electric Installation and Services (1986) Ltd.; Israeli holding company Alon Blue Square Israel Ltd.; EDF Renewables Israel Ltd., which is the local subsidiary of French energy group EDF; Israel's Noy Infrastructure & Energy Investment Fund together with Energy Investments, L.P.; a group including Israeli insurance company Menora Mivtachim Energy Ltd and Chinese-Canadian solar panel manufacturer Canadian Solar Inc.; Israel-based wind and solar project developer Enlight Renewable Energy Ltd.; and Israel PV company Ellomay Capital Ltd. in association with The Phoenix Insurance Company.

Once completed, the solar-plus-storage plant will be the largest PV facility in the country. Construction is planned to begin in late 2021, with completion scheduled for 2023. Israel’s largest operational PV plant is currently the 120 MW Zeélim solar park near the village of the same name in the south of the nation. That project, owned by Shne'or Zeelim, a Shikun & Binui Energy (SBE) subsidiary, and built by its unit Solel Boneh Ltd, in a joint venture with Belectric, was finalized in October 2019.

“The Dimona solar plant will include storage and is part of our country's target to strengthen the Israeli grid capabilities in terms of energy security”, the director of Israel's Green Energy Association, Eitan Parnass, told pv magazine.

Israel supports PV through tenders for large scale projects and operates an incentive scheme for rooftop PV, offering feed-in tariffs.

In October 2020, the government approved a plan submitted by energy minister Yuval Steinitz to deploy around 15 GW more solar capacity to help raise the 2030 target for the proportion of national electricity drawn from renewables from 17% to 30%.

*The article was amended on March 3 to add Israel's Shikun & Binui Energy Ltd. to the list of the bidders.