Israel has taken a significant step today towards becoming a solar-leader

Greenpeace International
Tel Aviv, Israel – Greenpeace welcomes the announcement from the Ministry of Infrastructure that the proposed solar power plant in Eshalim, originally proposed in 2001, will finally be put out to tender to private contractors.

Greenpeace Mediterranean has led the campaign for renewable energy power plants to be constructed in the region. In 2005, the organisation submitted a report to the Ministry of Infrastructure, which proved that the construction of solar power stations would generate a profit of NIS 810 million annually, would create 5,000 new jobs, and would turn Israel into a world leader in the export of renewable technology to help combat climate change. The decision today is a good first step in this direction.

Greenpeace welcomes this positive announcement by the Ministry of Infrastructure, to finally build a first solar plant. Israel has taken a significant step forwards today in becoming a world leader in solar power,” said Nili Grossman, Greenpeace Mediterranean Energy Campaigner.

Israel has immense potential to create a lucrative market in the export of renewable energy and free itself from its dependence on oil and coal.”

Concentrated Solar Thermal Power Plants can play an important part in the Middle East and on the Global level. The recently launched report:


Energy [R]evolution: A Sustainable World Energy Outlook’, produced by Greenpeace International and the European Renewable Energy Council (EREC), is a practical blueprint for how to cut global CO2 emissions by almost 50% by 2050, whilst providing a secure and affordable energy supply and, critically, maintaining steady worldwide economic development.

Notably, the plan takes into account rapid economic growth areas such as China, India and Africa, and highlights the economic advantages of the energy revolution scenario. It concludes that renewable energies will represent the backbone of the world’s economy. The energy blueprint for the Middle East concludes, that 36% of the region’s electricity needs in the year 2050 could be produced by solar thermal power plants, while on the global level 9% of the required electricity would be produced by this technology.

The decision from the Israeli Government comes as the world is crying out for a plan on how to tackle the dilemma of how to provide the power we need, without fuelling climate change,” said Sven Teske, Climate & Energy Campaigner, Greenpeace International. “We welcome this project and urge all Governments of the "sunbelt regions" to invest in solar thermal power stations."
Print Email
Bookmark and Share

Greenpeace International

Greenpeace proves every day that ordinary people can accomplish extraordinary things.

It was a group of thoughtful, committed citizens that came together in 1971 to create Greenpeace. A handful of determined activists leased a small fishing vessel, called the Phyllis Cormack, and set sail from Vancouver for Amchitka Island in Alaska. Their mission was to protest U.S. nuclear testing off the coast of Alaska with a brave act of defiance: to place themselves in harm’s way. Despite being intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard, these daring activists sailed into history by bringing worldwide attention to the dangers of nuclear testing.

Our Work

That was more than 30 years ago, and in that time, Greenpeace has indeed changed the world, and we continue to make the world a better place. Our committed activists and supporters have come together to ban commercial whaling, convince the world’s leaders to stop nuclear testing, protect Antarctica, and so much more. Today, we have grown from a small group of dedicated activists to an international organization with offices in more than 30 countries. But our spirit and our mission remain the same. Our fight to save the planet has grown more serious – the threat of global warming, destruction of ancient forests, deterioration of our oceans, and the threat of a nuclear disaster loom large. Greenpeace is actively working to address these and other threats.

Got Debt?  Get Debt Wise.