A tender for the construction of the largest desalination plant in Israel was issued on Wednesday by the inter-ministerial tender committee for seawater desalination in the Accountant General’s Division.
The tender is for the renovation, expansion and operation of the desalination plant in Ashkelon, amounting to 220 million cubic meters of water per year.
The facility, which is nearing the end of the first concession period, is expected to double the volume of desalinated water under the new concession and will be the largest desalination facility in Israel.
This is the first desalination facility in Israel that is reaching the end of its first concession period, and is now, after 25 years of operation, going to tender for a new concession for its operation, which will include a significant expansion of the water desalination system from approximately 120 million cubic meters per year today to approximately 220 million cubic meters.
The new concession agreement will include the renovation and renewal of all the facility’s systems, the construction of new arrays and buildings and the operation of the facility and water supply to the state for an additional 25-year concession period. 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 meters per year, which constitutes almost the entire volume of water consumption expected for the home and industry in Israel each year.
The Director of the Water Authority, Mr. Yehezkel Lipshitz: “The new facility will harness advanced technologies and sustainable practices to effectively convert seawater into high-quality fresh water, thereby increasing water resources, in order to meet growing needs and strengthen the resilience of the State of Israel in the face of periods of drought and future water shortages.”
