Regional Council Challenges Massive Desalination Plant Plan
The Emek Hefer Regional Council has filed an administrative petition with the Central District Court in Lod, challenging the state's plan to construct a massive desalination plant and adjacent power station within its jurisdiction. The council seeks to halt the international tender process for the project until objections submitted to the plan are resolved.
The petition, filed against the Ministry of Finance's special tender committee for seawater desalination, the Water Authority, and the National Infrastructure Committee (NIC), argues that the state is prematurely advancing the selection of a company to lead the project. This is occurring while the scope of the initiative, which includes a natural gas-powered 300 MW power station with a 50-meter chimney, a 300-dunam water reservoir, and four kilometers of overhead power lines, has not been definitively decided.
The council contends that by proceeding with the tender process, the state is creating "facts on the ground" and potentially rendering the ongoing objection review process meaningless. They suggest the timing of the state's actions, occurring before the NIC makes a final decision on objections, may be influenced by the upcoming elections, aiming to solidify the project's status. The council warns that if the project's scope changes significantly after companies have invested in the tender, it could lead to legal challenges and unfairness.
This project, designed to produce approximately 400 million cubic meters of desalinated water annually, would be one of the largest globally. The Emek Hefer Council is part of a broader opposition to concentrating large infrastructure projects in the area. Previous objections, supported by opinions from former IDF General Giora Eiland regarding security risks and from Dr. Daniel Mader on environmental and health concerns, have been submitted.
Officials from the Ministry of Finance stated that the expedited process is due to the project's complexity, and final tender details will align with the NIC's decisions. Water Authority Director Yitzhak Lipshitz emphasized the plant's necessity for meeting future water demands for the population, agriculture, and industry.
