The interministerial tender committee for seawater desalination in the Accountant General’s Division released a bid on Wednesday for the building of the biggest desalination plant in Israel. The Ashkelon desalination plant, which treats 220 million cubic meters of water annually, is up for renovation, expansion, and operation. As the first concession period draws to a close, the facility—which will be the biggest desalination plant in Israel—should produce twice as much desalinated water under the new arrangement.
After 25 years of operation, this is Israel’s first desalination facility, which is about to end its first concession period. It will now put out a bid for a new concession for its operations, which will include a significant expansion of the water desalination system from about 120 million cubic meters per year to about 220 million cubic meters. Under the terms of the new concession agreement, the facility will be operated and its water supply to the state will continue for an extra 25 years, along with the renovation and replacement of all its systems and the building of new buildings and arrays.
After the completion of the expansion and renovation of the facility, the seven desalination facilities in Israel are expected to supply approximately 1,000 cubic metres per year, which constitutes almost the entire volume of water consumption expected for homes and industry in Israel each year.
“The new facility will harness advanced technologies and sustainable practices to effectively convert seawater into high-quality fresh water, thereby increasing water resources, to meet growing needs and strengthen the resilience of the State of Israel in the face of future water shortages and droughts,” stated Yehezkel Lipshitz, Director of the Water Authority.
