May 2012 Newsletter pantone 3035 c pantone 478 c pantone 180 c pantone 124 c Potential for large-scale production of bio-fuels in Hevel Eilot The Bio-fuel Alternatives Company (biofuelalternatives.net), together with Kibbutz Yotvata, the Economic Company and the Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Company, have developed an enterprise for growing castor oil plants in order to use the oil as an alternative fuel. Pleasehttp://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A//www.renewable-energy-eilat.org/sites/default/files/u2/newsletter_02_eng.pdf&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNGSkdJ7F_auKK1-te8CMgc5PgIn9w click here to read last month's material on the subject. During the past month 300 dunams have been planted with castor oil plants. The first harvest is planned for July-August, and the expected yield is 1.1-1.2 tons per dunam. It is also important to note that the entire crop is irrigated with treated wastewater and brackish water. Click=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RwGQAucr6o&feature=plcp&context=C435c702VDvjVQa1PpcFPInOINZs0BjFMp4DSu6a_V3BYEfQcmCdA here to see a clip demonstrating the process from seeding through production of the oil. http://www.renewable-energy-eilat.org/gallery/growing-castorClick here to view photos of the field on Kibbutz Yotvata In addition, the Mexican Bio-fields Company (Biofields.com) which is part of a large concern, came to visit Hevel Eilot at the beginning of May. The company representatives were hosted by Regional Council Head Udi Gat, Renewable Energy Company Director Dorit Banet, Director of the Council's Economic Company Dovi Goldman, Southern Arava Agricultural Research and Development Unit Director Amnon Greenberg and Yotvata Crop Manager Uri Mashli. The Mexican company is considering investing in the above-mentioned enterprise in order to produce bio-fuel on a commercial level. The enterprise would include some 5000 dunams castor oil plants in the Arava, a production plant for extraction of the oil and a factory for production of bio-fuel. If the deal goes through, then the first center for production of castor oil in Israel will be established in the Arava. Such a center would bring income to the kibbutzim in the region from growing of the plants and would develop industry, creating jobs and contributing to the air quality in the region. .(s published in the Ma'ariv newspaper (Hebrewמגעים-לקראת-הפקת-מאסיבית-של-ביודיזל-בערבהhttp://www.renewable-energy-eilat.org/he/content/Please click here to read an article on the enterprise which wa Public appeal for facilitators for High school students' research projects We embarked upon a new initiative during March - we created a national reserve of facilitators for term papers in order to help high school students interested in the field of energy in general and renewable energy in particular. Students who decide to write final term papers are eligible to receive five credits towards their matriculation certificate. This choice requires students to invest a great deal of time and effort in writing high-level academic papers. Facilitators gain by supervising term papers on the highest level possible within the high school framework. We therefore request that you, relevant professionals or heads of research teams, put forth candidates who are willing to participate in this initiative. For additional details about the amount of time required from facilitators, potential subjects for the papers, payment, etc., http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A//www.renewable-energy-eilat.org/sites/default/files/u2/kol%20kore%20manhim.pdf&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNF2kL2d8EaAvCNZSqY1CNSv03XlZQplease click here to go to the official public appeal (In Hebrew). And finally, we would like to emphasize that your and our investment in youngsters interested in renewable energy is what will bring talented young people to the field, perhaps including some who will join your research. It would be hard to find a more worthwhile investment! Tohttp://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A//www.renewable-energy-eilat.org/sites/default/files/u2/Arabic%20kol%20kore%20manhim.pdf&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNEzQ0g5ig9_e0qamDjMmXhxtCeZSQ your convenience we have created the public appeal in Arabic. The Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Company is looking for sponsors for the international youth competition and conference. As part of the comprehensive strategic regional process which we are promoting, we embarked upon a partnership with the Eilat campus of Ben-Gurion University in the summer of 2010 in order to advance an additional initiative of the international sustainable energy youth competition and conference. The underlying idea for holding the conference and competition is the desire of the region to encourage excellence in the field of clean tech among the young generation, as well as to reinforce ties between young people with abilities and interest in the fields of clean tech and the environment from Israel and around the world to the southern Arava and to the widespread activity both taking place and planned in the field of renewable energy. In order to form impressions regarding the project and to examine options for sponsorship for the short or http://www.renewable-energy-eilat.org/content/youth-competitionlong terms, please visit our site: www.sustainergy.org.il Visit by Yitzhak Navon, the fifth president of Israel, to Hevel Eilot The fifth president of the State of Israel came to visit the Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Company. He heard about our activities from our director Dorit Banet, who explained how we are promoting the Eilat-Eilot region by developing a Sun Valley for renewable energy in the Arava. Mr. Navon and his family members then set out on a tour of the Shikun V'Binui Company's Pioneer facility, which is the first thermo solar facility of its type in Israel. Our guests were much impressed and enjoyed the tour greatly. It should be noted that Mr. Navon chose to visit our offices as part of a trip that he took to celebrate his 91st birthday. We wish him all the best, health and happiness, and thank him for choosing to visit the Arava for his birthday - a wise decision (the Hebrew word for wise is navon!). Please click here to view photos from Yitzhak Navon's visit (on our Facebook page - and while you are http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.340615702667427.83290.108950785833921&type=3there, please click "like"). Presentation of abstracts and provision of sponsorships at the Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Conference The fifth international Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Conference is the main conference of its type in Israel, and one of the leading conferences in the world in the field of renewable energy. The conference, together with the exhibition, provides an essential platform for presentation of technological innovations, for creation of business opportunities and for training the spotlight on policies and implementation in the field of renewable energies. The conference attracts businesspeople, leading companies, entrepreneurs, start-ups and government and political people from Israel and from around the world involved in the fields of renewable energy. The conference at the same time serves as a meeting place for policymakers and funding entities with new technologies and with business companies, and enables business and professional dialoguing on realization of global strategic aims, as well as the aims of the government of Israel in the field of renewable energy. In light of the great success of the Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Conference in past years, the government of Israel has adopted the conference as the central conference in the field. In addition, since the government has approved the establishment of a technological center in Eilat Hevel Eilot, it is more valid than ever to hold the fifth international Eilat-Eilot Renewable Energy Conference in this region. The fourth conference, which was held in February 2011, had some 1,800 attendees from Israel and around the world, and some 80 exhibitors at the conference's accompanying exhibition. You are cordially invited to take an active part in the conference as exhibitors or as sponsors. Please consider the conference as a marketing opportunity for your company, to gain exposure among decision makers in Israel in the field of renewable energies. http://www.eilatenergy.org/mail/eilat3.htmlPlease click here for the list of subjects and additional details about submission of abstracts and content. Please click here for additional details about registration of booths for the exhibition and about http://www.eilatenergy.org/sponsorhip.ehtmlsponsorship. Sign a petition to revoke obstacles and update corrections and legislation in electricity sector laws We call upon you to join us in the fight to revoke obstacles and update corrections and legislation in electricity sector laws. As part of this fight we started a petition calling upon the government of Israel, the Public Services Electricity Administration and all decision-makers in the electricity sector in Israel to: Work towards revoking obstacles in the electricity sector and to promote correction of legislation, regulations and sequences which will enable electricity producers to generate the electricity which they need, as well as the establishment of renewable energy power stations. The age of equalization of the costs of solar electricity is closer than ever on one hand, while on the other existing regulation threatens to push it further off due to fees imposed on the field and lack of coordination between offices. We call upon you to begin taking action now due to your knowledge and recognition of the fact that legislative processes take years, and therefore every day that passes without action on our part will only delay the development of a modern electricity sector in Israel. * Corrections in electricity sector law are central to the agenda of the upcoming Eilat-Eilot Conference, which will take place in November. http://www.atzuma.co.il/sustainergyPlease click here to sign the petition and join the fight.