Israel is building the world’s tallest solar tower at 250 meters high in the Negev desert in the southern region of the country, according to local media on Thursday.
The 121 megawatt Ashalim Solar Thermal Power Station in the desert, has been rescheduled for completion by 2018, according to a recent announcement. It was previously due to be completed in 2017.
According to the company's website, more than 50,000 computer-controlled heliostats, or mirrors, that track the sun on two axes and reflect sunlight onto a boiler on top of a 250-meter tower will be used in the desert located in a region between Egypt, Jordan and southern Israel.
Instead of using typical solar panels to harvest energy, the heliostats are used to reflect the sunlight to the tower to heat a boiler, which will produce the steam to spin a turbine to produce electricity.
BrightSource Energy is partnering with General Electric (GE) and NOY Infrastructure and Energy Investment Fund to build the project.
The Ashalim Solar Thermal Power Station will help the country reach its target of having 10 percent of its electricity production from renewable energy sources by 2020.
According to the country's National Sustainable Energy and Water Program of Ministry of Economy and Industry, the country has innovative and advanced technological capability to boost clean energy sources efficiently.
In the country, clean energy is defined as an energy that is sourced by the sun, wind, bio-gas, bio-mass or any other non-perishable source.
The goal of the country is to reach production of 6.43 terra-watt hours by 2020.
(Anadolu Agency, January 9, 2017))
