Solar in exchange for desalinated water
Israel and Jordan have agreed to pair 600 MW of solar with an undisclosed amount of storage. The deal, which was brokered by the United Arab Emirates at COP27, will see Jordan provide electricity to Israel in exchange for desalinated water.
An Emirati company will reportedly build the 600 MW “Prosperity Green” solar project, which Jordan will use to provide solar energy to Israel, in exchange for 200 million cubic meters of annual desalinated water supplies.
The two nations signed an initial memorandum of understanding last November to signal their intent to build the solar project. They have since worked on feasibility studies and now aim “to develop the necessary implements in plans in time for COP28,” according to a statement by the Israeli Ministry of Energy.
Israeli Energy Minister Karine Elharrar described the project as “a geopolitical, economic and environmental” initiative that opens a “new page in relations” with Jordan. Iswai Farij, the Israeli minister of regional cooperation, also described the project as part of a “legacy of cross-border regional cooperation.”
“[It] creates hope for the entire region, when countries join together to promote optimal utilization of natural resources,” said Farij.