Israel’s largest wind farm comes online during military conflict

The 207MW Genesis Wind project was developed by Israeli developer Enlight Renewable Energy and is located in the Golan Heights region in the north of the country between Syria and Israel. 

The wind farm produced first power in July and has now entered commercial operations with 34 of its 39 GE 5.3-158 turbines producing around 180MW of power according to Enlight. The project supplies electricity to Israel’s national grid through a 27km underground cable. The remaining five turbines are expected to be operational after the completion of final tests, Enlight stated.

“Despite the tragic events in Israel during the past week, the company is continuing to operate normally,” said Gilad Yavetz, CEo of Enlight. He added that the project could pave a way for future renewable energy projects in the Golan Heights.

The construction and operation of wind farms in the Golan Heights has faced opposition and from the Arabic Druze community in the region.

Israel annexed the Golan Heights in 1981 but has no legal claim on the region, according to the United Nations.

Genesis Wind was completed despite the outbreak of widespread fighting in the region which began on 7 October.