Israel: Hadera desalination extension finance fixed

Financing worth US$ 80 million has been agreed for the 74,000 m³/d expansion of the Hadera reverse-osmosis desalination plant in Israel, IDE Technologies announced on 3 July 2009.

The agreement was signed between the H2ID consortium, owned by IDE and Shikun & Binui (Housing & Construction), and the European Investment Bank, Calyon Corporate & Investment Bank (France) and two Israeli banks, Bank Hapoalim and Discount Bank.

Hadera was ordered by Israel's government to serve the national system and is now in an advanced construction phase. It is planned to produce desalinated water gradually from the end of 2009 with a total capacity, after the expansion, of 348,000 m³/d of high quality drinking water.

The plant, which is constructed and will be operated by H2ID under a build-operate-transfer contract, is located at the Rabin Lights power station in Hadera. It will be completed during 2010.

The facility is divided into two plants - eastern and western. Both plants have similar production capacity, and each plant is able to operate separately and independently.