Written on October 20, 2010 at 12:51 pm by iPlanetNews

Eilat-Eilot wins Renewable Energy Technology Center Tender

Filed under Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy in the News, Energy Conservation, Renewable Energy no comments

The Office of the Chief Scientist at Israel’s Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor has chosen the Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Initiative to establish and operate a renewable energy technology center. The Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Initiative’s bid was chosen over that of the National Renewable Energy Center Group by Israel’s Chief’s Scientist’s committee.

The Eilat-Eilot consortium includes a full range of partners that include Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., Ormat Industries Ltd., Elbit Systems Ltd., ProSeed Venture Capital Fund, Britain’s Consensus Business Group, and Ben Gurion University of the Negev.

Eilat-Eilot’s renewable energy technology center will be built in the Arava region just north of Eilat, part of the Eilot Regional Council administration. Eilat-Eilot’s winning consortium is slated to invest NIS 57 million in the new center over the next five years while matching funds will be provided by Israel’s Chief Scientist according to the contract with the Israel government.

Dorit Davidovich Banet, Co-Managing Director of the Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Initiative anticipated their being chosen, believing they had put together the better consortium for a renewable energy technological center. Noam Ilan, the other Co-Managing Director who will take charge of the Technology Center said, “This will make our dream of a technology center in the Eilat region come true and this will be a big step toward making our region energy independent.”

The Ministry of Industry, Trade and Labor praised the new technology center, expecting it to encourage technological entrepreneurship in the cleantech center and create frameworks for assistance to entrepreneurs who are starting out, require direction and need funding for their business plans.

Israel Chief Scientist Dr. Eli Opper also announced up-coming plans to publish a call for establishing a center for developing water technologies that is to receive NIS 35 million funding over a five year period.

The Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Initiative is planning its 4th annual International Renewable Energy Conference and Exhibition to be held in February 2011.