Two Israeli firms have teamed up to build a solar project in the Galilee, a vast swath of land where Israel’s northern deserts lie.
Israel has about 1.5 million people living in areas under its control and is planning to expand the solar power system that will be built on land near the Israeli-Palestinian border.
The Israeli companies are building a new power plant on the site and a new mill to process solar panels and heat the power from the sun.
The first phase of the solar project, which will include an 800 megawatt (MW) solar plant and a mill to produce electricity, will be completed in 2019, said Moshe Haggadah, CEO of Israel Solar Energy.
He said the solar plant will provide electricity for about 1,200 households and will employ some 30 people.
The project will employ around 500 people, Haggada said.
He did not give the size of the company involved, but said the company will be based in the Golan Heights, where Israel holds the border with Syria.
The other company involved is Solar Energy, based in Haifa.
In November, Israeli authorities announced plans to open a solar power plant in the northern Galilee.
Israel plans to build more than 200 megawatts of solar energy capacity over the next five years, including 1,000 megawatts in the region.
In the Galilees, Israel has some 800,000 people living there.
The Israel Solar Development Authority is working to build an estimated 20,000 solar projects in the country.
The region is home to some 70 percent of Israel’s natural gas reserves.
The Galilee is home a wide range of renewable energy projects.
The world’s biggest producer of wind power, China, is building two wind farms on land owned by Israel.
Israel’s National Renewable Energy Authority is building three wind farms, including one near the border, with a total of 7,500 megawatts.