JERUSALEM - The Israeli energy market is expanding its cooperation with Turkish energy companies, National Infrastructure Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer said during a meeting attended by local business officials with their Turkish counterparts.
“The Israeli energy market is finalizing at this time deals to the tune of USD 1.3 billion with companies in Turkey,” Ben-Eliezer said in his speech.
In addition to an already finalized USD 800 million deal to set up a natural gas power station near the southern town of Ashkelon, two more mega-deals are in final stages of negotiations.
“We are talking about unprecedented deals,” Ben-Eliezer said, and added that the National Infrastructure Ministry along with Turkish authorities are looking into the possibility of supplying natural gas via Turkey.
‘Israel can learn from Turkish experience’
The ministry is interested in using technologies for the transport of natural gas from remote locations in a manner that would allow the gas to be used in vehicles, thus reducing pollution levels.
Although Ben-Eliezer did not say so specifically, he was referring to the importation of natural gas from Russia, as discussed by Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Russian President Vladimir Putin recently.
“Turkey has extensive experience in the area of natural gas and Israel can learn from it,” Ben Eliezer said.
