Arava Power signs solar deals worth NIS 2b 

by Amiram Barkat
Globes
February 7, 2010
http://bit.ly/Israeli-Solar

Arava Power Company has signed solar energy development 
agreements with 15 kibbutzim in the Negev's Arava Valley to 
build mid-sized photovoltaic arrays with a total output of 
100-megawatts, an average of 6.5-megawatts per facility. 
Investment is the project will total NIS 2 billion. 

At the same time, in line with the guidelines of the National 
Planning and Building Commission, Arava Power is also 
developing photovoltaic arrays on the roofs of cow sheds and 
industrial buildings in these communities. The company said 
that it was working on several other strategically important projects. 

Arava Power says that Israeli and foreign investors are very 
interested in Israel's solar energy market. Arava Power 
president Yosef Abramowitz said, "We're undergoing a period 
of immense growth. At each of the 15 locations where we'll 
build a mid-sized solar field, it's also possible to build a large 
solar field, which will add another 500 megawatts to Arava 
Power's production capacity. Together with our partners at 
Siemens, we're examining additional proposals to invest in 
the company."