green power

One of the world’s oldest cities is set to use one of the most advanced methods to receive electricity. About 20000 residents of the West Bank city of Jericho will be supplied with solar-powered electricity after the construction of a plant is completed. Jericho experiences year-round sunlight which, according to some, makes it an ideal location for the Japanese-funded project. Also, the project aims to make Palestinians in Jericho self-sufficient with electricity, as they currently depend on Israel’s national grid for supply. “The solar plant is going to generate 350 kilowatts per hour every day, this will be used to operate the main building in the industrial city, which is one thousand square meters,” plant engineer Alla Melhem said. “Also there will be a water treatment plant in Jericho, which will be operated by the solar plant. I can get electricity from the solar plant that operates the water treatment plant at about 150 kilowatts per hour each day,” he said. The Japanese government also plans to create a .7 million agro-industrial park, which will allow the Palestinian territories to produce crops such as oranges and tomatoes to be sold in neighboring Jordan. In recent years, the Palestinian territories have experienced serious water and electricity shortages, and Jericho Mayor Hasan Saleh is optimistic about the plant and its benefits. By Noora Faraj Al Arabiya with Agencies