Ashalim Power Station

The Ashalim power station is a solar power station in the Negev desert near the kibbutz of Ashalim, south of the district city of Be'er Sheva) in Israel. It is a joint venture between Brightsource and Alstom. The station was the tallest solar power tower in the world at a height of 260 meters including the boiler[1] but was recently surpassed by the 262 meter tall solar power tower at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park.[2]

Ashalim power station
Official nameAshalim Solar Thermal Power Station
CountryIsrael
LocationNegev Desert
Coordinates30.96502°N 34.72602°E / 30.96502; 34.72602
StatusOperational
Construction began2014
Commission date2018
Construction costUS$570 million
Owner(s)Megalim Solar Power
Operator(s)Alstom
Solar farm
TypeCPS
CSP technologySolar power tower
Site area3.15 km2 (1.22 sq mi)
Power generation
Nameplate capacity121 MW
External links
Websitehttp://www.brightsourceenergy.com/ashalim-solar-project
CommonsRelated media on Commons

The station has an installed capacity of 121 megawatts,[3], concentrating 50,600 computer-controlled heliostats enough to power 120000 homes. Electricity production commenced in September 2019[4], producing 320 GWhr of energy per year .[5] The solar tower uses molten salt to allow the plant to operate for up to 4.5 hours after sunset[4].

When further phases of the project are complete, the station will combine 3 kinds of energy: solar thermal energy, photovoltaic energy, and natural gas. A 30MW PV plant is planned, and a second CSP plant will also be built.[6][7]

Reasons for building the power station

winter 2018

According to a press release of the National Infrastructure Minister of Israel, the establishment has several motivations:

  1. Economic motivation: reducing imports thus balancing the trade and releasing foreign currency.
  2. Political motivation: reducing strategic dependence on foreign energy sources.
  3. Environmental motivation: reducing contamination levels.
  4. Scientific motivation: pushing forward local technology and science, adapting new technologies from abroad.
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See also

References

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