Israel Unveils Ambitious Energy Storage Plan Through 2035
Translated & summarized from NEWSru Israel by baba
Israel's Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure has proposed a plan to expand energy storage systems by 2035, aiming to boost renewable energy targets to 40%. The strategy addresses the solar power production-consumption mismatch and aims to overcome bureaucratic hurdles and economic uncertainty. The plan includes developing residential and long-duration storage, considering hydrogen technology, and reforming economic models to incentivize storage. These proposals are currently under public review and not yet finalized.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Israel's Ministry of Energy plans to expand energy storage systems by 2035.
- The goal is to reach 40% renewable energy generation by 2035.
- Key challenges include production-consumption mismatch and bureaucratic delays.
- The plan proposes national planning, inter-agency task forces, and market-based economic models.
- It emphasizes residential, long-duration, and backup storage for critical infrastructure.
- Israel's isolated grid makes energy storage particularly crucial.
Israel's Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure has released a strategic plan for public review aimed at significantly expanding the country's energy storage systems. The initiative seeks to support the national goal of generating 30% of electricity from renewable sources by 2030, increasing to 40% by 2035. A key challenge for Israel's solar energy sector is the mismatch between peak electricity production during daylight hours and peak demand in the evenings. Battery systems are intended to store surplus solar power generated during the day for use during high-demand periods. The plan, developed by the ministry's sustainable energy division with input from Dr. Diana Bogin, identifies major obstacles to energy storage development. According to a survey of entrepreneurs, 29% of issues stem from inter-agency project approvals, 23% from economic uncertainty, and 22% from lengthy grid connection times. The ministry proposes shifting from quota-based regulation to national planning that considers regional needs and grid capacity. This includes publishing dynamic grid load maps, establishing an inter-agency task force to cut bureaucracy, and setting mandatory response times for regulatory bodies. The plan also emphasizes developing smaller battery systems for homes and businesses to serve as backup power, particularly for critical infrastructure like hospitals and desalination plants, and for communities in border areas. Furthermore, it addresses the need for long-duration storage technologies, capable of supplying power for over 12 hours, which are crucial for cloudy winter days when solar output is reduced. Hydrogen technologies are being considered for this purpose. The economic model is also slated for revision, moving from fixed tariffs towards market mechanisms that allow battery system owners to profit from storing cheap daytime energy and selling it during peak hours. These systems could also stabilize the grid and reduce the need for new transmission lines. The ministry highlighted the critical importance of energy storage for Israel, an islanded grid unable to import electricity from neighboring countries, unlike many European nations. The proposed measures are currently part of a draft policy and have not yet been approved for implementation.
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