As part of a new outline published today (Thursday) for public comments, the Ministry of Energy proposed examining electricity production from nuclear energy, blue hydrogen and solar energy, as part of a new outline to reset greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.
The outline includes several ways that are intended to provide Israel with alternative means of energy, in order to join the country in the global trend of zeroing emissions, and to promote renewable energies and the storage of existing energies, so that the continuity of Israel’s energy supply will be guaranteed for decades to come.
The innovative outline presents a long-term climate strategy, based on advanced research and development, and is proposed three years after former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett declared at the international climate conference in Glasgow that Israel commits to zero emissions by 2050.
The model presented by the Ministry of Energy is based on the electricity demand in Israel, according to past trends, current policies, and the unique characteristics of the State of Israel. According to the model, the energy will be supplied to all sectors of the economy, including households, the transportation, industry and trade sectors. By the year 2050, the demand for energy is expected to increase threefold, and for this purpose the transition in industry and transportation to the use of electricity instead of oil, natural gas and coal will be accelerated in the coming years.
The model provides three scenarios for leading the aforementioned economy to reset emissions, each of which is made of several technologies, but based on a leading technology.
The yellow scenario: based on renewable energies and mainly solar energy, and storage.
The blue scenario: based on blue hydrogen produced from natural gas and carbon capture.
The red scenario: based on nuclear energy.
What all the scenarios have in common is that they rely on solar energy as the main source of electricity production, but the rate of its use varies and ranges from 56%-57% in the blue and red scenarios to 77% in the yellow scenario. Because of this, the Ministry of Energy says that systems for the production of renewable energy and storage should continue to be established widely. Among other things, the office relies on the new regulations recently approved by the National Planning and Construction Council, which require every new non-residential building to install solar systems for the production of renewable energy.
Also, the Ministry of Energy emphasizes that there is no single leading technology, and that Israel will invest in the development of several different types of energy sources in order to strengthen its energy security and independence.
Regarding the establishment of nuclear power plants, the Ministry of Energy clarifies that “a deep public discussion will examine all aspects of using this technology in Israel and support its establishment.” It is further stated that “as nuclear fusion technologies are developed, which are safer and cleaner, it will be possible to make similar use of them as well.”
