WIND BLOWING NEW ENERGY TO HOLY LAND

If the principles manage to get through the permitting process, they will build the largest wind energy installation in Israel. It may be the biggest in the Middle East for now but Turkey has some big deals in the works. (See TURKEY BUILDING WIND)

These countries didn’t just get the “green” bug. Avi Winter, CEO, Israeli wind project builder Afcon Industries: "We all care about the environment today…But as a company we are looking to do business. If it wasn't something profitable we wouldn't touch it."

There does not seem to be a lot of wind energy potential in the Middle East but there is a dearth of detailed data. And if any people can do something with nothing, it is the Israelis, the people who made the desert bloom. (click to enlarge)

Israel opens its skies to wind energy
Karin Kloosterman, March 3, 2008 (Israel 21c)

WHO
Shlomo Shmeltzer and Eli Ben-Dov, plan proposers; Afcon Industries (Avi Winter, CEO)

WHAT
Shmeltzer, Ben-Dov and Winter are negotiating with Israeli regulators for the 2 wind energy installations which would together provide 150 megawatts of wind-generated electricity capacity.

Wind turbines on the Golan Heights. Much better than tanks. (click to enlarge)

WHEN
Israel’s goal is to obtain 5% of its energy (300 megawatts) from wind by 2012.
The only other Israeli wind farm is a 10-turbine installation built in 1993.

WHERE
- One Afcon project would be in the Arava Desert in Israel’s south. The other would be in the north. Precise locations cannot presently be made public.
- The 10-turbine wind farm is on Ben-Rasan in the Golan Heights.
- Afcon is based in Petah Tikva. It designs, manufactures, installs and integrates electromechanical systems in Israel and around the world. It recently installed the electrical system for the Israeli Intel plant.

WHY
- Afcon Industries is backed with $100 million in financing. Eli Ben-Dov was formerly an Israel Electric Corp deputy division chief. Shlomo Shmeltzer’s Shlomo Group is Israel's leading car rental, leasing and services company and a holding company for various industrial projects.
- Land surveys for environmental impacts have been done. The project awaits government approval.
- Afcon Industries employs 800 and did $120 million in sales in 2006.

New Energy advocates in Israel are beginning to think about wind energy. (click to enlarge)

QUOTES
Winter, Afcon: "We've been trying for the last one-and-a-half years to develop wind energy projects here in Israel, but there is a lot of regulation and bureaucracy with regards to the use of the land…It's also a challenge finding the right places in Israel where the wind is strong enough to make it profitable. The Golan Heights, in the Galilee, and a number of places in the Arava are suitable…"