Agreement: Israel will purchase solar electricity from Jordan and will provide desalinated water

Israel and Jordan signed an agreement on Monday under which Israel will purchase solar electricity from Jordan and Israel will supply it with desalinated water. Nevertheless, question marks may make it difficult to implement the move - despite Jordan's urgent need for water and Israel's desire to increase its use of solar electricity to meet its electricity generation targets from renewable sources.
According to a joint statement to Israel, Jordan, the United States and the United Arab Emirates, where the signing ceremony was held, the Minister of Energy, Karin Elharar, the Minister of Climate, Water and Food Security of the United Arab Emirates, Miriam Al-Mahiri, and the Minister of Water of Jordan, Dr. Muhammad al-Najer , Signed the historic Memorandum of Understanding document for regional cooperation in the fight against the climate crisis, in the presence of the US Special Envoy for Climate Affairs, John Kerry. The signature includes a reference to water and electricity cooperation.
According to the agreement, Jordan will export 600 megawatts of green electricity to Israel and additional storage in the first phase, and Israel will examine the export of desalinated water to Jordan of up to 200 million cubic meters.
The Israeli delegation also included the Deputy Chairman of the Electricity Authority, Yoav Katzboy, and the Head of the Water Authority, Giora Shaham, who will head professional teams detailing the terms of the agreement, including the price Jordan will pay for water and the price Israel will pay for electricity. Sources in the field say that in any case this is not a transfer of water from the Sea of ​​Galilee to Jordan.
In October, Israel signed an agreement to increase the water supply to the Jordanian government by 50 million cubic meters per year, in addition to the 55 million cubic meters that Israel transfers to Jordan each year under the peace agreements between the two countries. That is, if the new agreement is implemented, Israel will triple the amount of water it transfers to Jordan.
Israel has so far failed to meet electricity generation targets from renewable energies set for 2020 - 10% of all electricity production in Israel. Last year, less than 6% of the electricity generated in Israel was from renewable energies, and this year the figure is expected to approach 9%.
One of the main problems is the lack of open areas on which solar farms can be built, in light of the Israel Land Authority's opposition to occupying large areas for the purpose of installing solar panels. In addition, some Arava residents are opposed to flooding the open areas with solar farms, arguing that the Arava "should not become Israel's power plant." In addition, the electricity transmission network held by the IEC is not prepared to connect new projects in many areas in Israel due to congestion.
It is possible that the cooperation agreement between Jordan and Israel in the fields of water and electricity will provide a solution to these problems. There is a significant water shortage in Jordan, as the climate crisis has led to a depletion of the country's water reserves in recent years. According to official data from the Jordanian government, the average person in the country uses 61 liters a day. For comparison, in the US the average consumption per person is 350 liters per day.
In order for the agreement to be completed the parties need to overcome some obstacles, and the joint working teams will be required to go into the depth of some issues. Since the transmission network is already unable to cope with the volume of electricity generation from renewable energies in the south, it is not clear how a 600 MW solar power plant can be connected to the grid, given that Jordan will probably set up solar facilities near Israel's southern border. In addition, the establishment of a transmission network from the Jordanian side of the border is required, since the electricity transmission network in the kingdom lags behind the Israeli network.
Another issue is security: how can Jordan protect a solar farm designated for Israel from terrorist attacks. In some situations, Israel may find itself facing a drop in electricity flowing to it due to damage to the Jordanian system. In addition, the defense establishment must examine the connection of the Israeli network to Jordan. Although this is a dedicated solar farm and not a real connection to the entire Jordanian electricity grid, the move could create security difficulties.
The head of the Middle Arava Regional Council, Meir Tzur, expressed his opposition to the agreement and said: "Israel needs electricity from renewable energy and we in the Arava have the required areas for this - thousands of dunams of desert and sun all year round. ".
He said, "The default is not to prefer the Arava as the most suitable area for solar projects to produce green energy for the benefit of Israeli residents. We have been waiting for years to establish a high voltage line and build solar energy projects. Of the Government of Israel. "
Another environmental question has to do with the destruction of nature. One of the reasons for the opposition of some Arava residents to the construction of solar stations in the Negev is damage to nature and a desire to promote dual-use of land, such as the construction of solar panels on roofs and interchanges. But even if solar farms are set up in Jordan - it will harm nature, only on the eastern side of the border.
In addition, there are questions related to the field of water. According to a source in the water sector, Jordan's water supply system is not prepared to deal with a significant increase in the water flowing into it, and it will have to prepare for the implementation of the agreement. In addition, the question arises as to what source of water we will provide to the Jordanians. According to the Water Authority, fresh water consumption in Israel in 2020 was less than 1,500 million cubic meters. In other words, if Israel supplies Jordan with 300 million cubic meters per year, it means supplying it with more than one-fifth of the water produced in Israel.
200 million cubic meters of water is equivalent to the volume of water produced by the Whistling B desalination plant currently being built. . In addition, Israel's population grew rapidly, and water consumption increased accordingly.
Despite the challenges along the way, the parties welcomed the completion of the agreement. Elharar said in the joint statement that: "All residents of the East will benefit from the Memorandum of Understanding, not just Jordan and Israel.