Qatar, PA Ink Deal To Fuel Gaza Power Plant With Israeli Gas
Qatar and the Palestinian Authority signed an agreement Sunday to provide Israeli natural gas for the only electric power station in the Gaza Strip. Currently, the power station runs on diesel fuel and only produces about 12 hours of electricity per day. The plan, called the Gas for Gaza initiative, includes a Qatari pledge to provide $60 million in investment toward the building of a gas pipeline from southern Israel into the Gaza Strip. The European Union would also help finance the project. Gas from Israel’s Leviathan gas field, off the Mediterranean coast, would replace diesel, providing power around the clock and lower carbon emissions. “The transition to natural gas enabled by the project will reduce Palestinian carbon emissions by 6%, making a valuable contribution to mitigating climate change,” the Office of the Quartet said. But a final agreement to implement the project could still take months or even years.