Massader Company, PIF’s investment arm in the energy and infrastructure sector, and the Jerusalem District Electricity Company (JDECO) signed an agreement to build a solar energy plan near the town of Rammon in the Ramallah and Al Bireh governorate, under the Nour Palestine program implemented by PIF to produce 200 MW of electricity from solar energy.

The “Nour Rammon” solar energy plan will be built with a production capacity of 4 MW, i.e. the equivalent of the electricity consumption of 1,300 households. The plant will be built and operated during the year 2022, whereby JDECO will benefit from the electrical power produced for a period of 25 years according to the agreement with Massader.

The agreement is a new accomplishment for the Nour Palestine program for solar energy that was launched by PIF to produce 200MW of electricity. The program includes to date, in addition to Nour Rammon plant, the Nour Al Shamal plant that is under construction with a production capacity of 5MW as a first stage to build a plant with a production capacity of 20MW near the town of Safareen, as well as more than 55,000 solar panel through projects that were implemented or are underway such as Nour Jericho plant that has a production capacity of 7.5 MW, the Nour Jenin that was built with a production capacity of 5 MW. Additionally, the program includes the project to generate electricity by using the rooftops of 500 public schools, with works for 120 schools to be completed by the end of this year. These accomplishments come at the time of convening the Glasgow World Climate Summit that the State of Palestine is attending. It is important to note that Nour Palestine program is aligned with the UN SDGs, and that the program for solar energy on the rooftops of schools has received recently the UN Climate Change Award.

Dr. Mohammad Mustafa, Chairman of PIF Board of Directors, said: “this agreement is part of the Nour Palestine program for solar energy, that was launched by PIF to contribute towards achieving energy security for Palestine, minimizing as much as possible electricity imports, and promoting the diversification of energy resources, particularly renewable energy.”

Dr. Mustafa added: “The signing of this agreement carries several messages. The first message is that PIF is moving forward with its strategy for impact investment with substitution of imported goods with local ones through self-reliance as one of its most significant indicators. The second message is a message of hope that we can light up Palestine through its own light and solar energy that the occupation cannot obscure. The third message is a message of work that transforms PIF plans and programs into a tangible reality on the ground.”

In his turn, Engineer Hisham Al Omari, Chairman of JDECO Board of Directors and the general director, said: “ We are proud of the partnership with PIF. This agreement is a continuation of the partnership and cooperation between the two sides on several solar energy projects, such as the Nour Jericho plant, and our partnership with PIF in a number of schools that have solar energy systems installed on their rooftops within the company’s concession area.”

Al Omari added : “JDECO is working diligently on providing the best services for its clients. As such, this agreement comes within the framework of the company’s strategy to diversify electricity resources and reduce the costs. The company is keen also on encouraging solar energy projects because this is a clean and renewable energy that reduces the importing of electricity.”

Mr. Azem Bishara, CEO of Massader a subsidiary company of PIF, said: “the Nour Rammon plant will be ready for use in 2022. The plant will have 6,500 solar panels and will be constructed through Palestinian Private Sector developers just like all other projects that Massader is implementing.”
Bishara added: “the economic benefit of Nour Rammon plant is varied, as it will produce 4MW of electricity for the benefit of JDECO. This will enhance the benefit to the consumers. Additionally, the plan will contribute in general towards reducing the importing of electricity, providing an additional source of energy for JDECO, in addition to creating specialized job opportunities in the field of solar energy.”