Increasing water access with renewable energy production, the Nexus North project

Access to drinking water is a major issue in Palestine, which is subject to significant water stress. The resources granted to the Palestinians by Oslo II agreement (1995) are not sufficient to meet the growing demand for basic services, particularly access to drinking water and sanitation.

The Palestinian Authority therefore considers the improvement of drinking water supply and access to sanitation as a priority. The implementation of the water reform voted in 2014 includes building the capacity of local operators to enable the provision of efficient and sustainable services.

In the energy sector, the Palestinian Territories, which imports 98% of its electricity from Israel, aims to reduce this dependence by increasing renewable energy production.

The Nexus North project combines an innovative approach with investments in the water and renewable energy sectors. This project is part of the joint strategy with the European Union to provide equitable and sustainable access to water, sanitation and energy services.

The water and sanitation component includes the extension and improvement of drinking water networks, including the construction of new reservoirs, as well as connections to the sewerage network. A hybrid renewable energy system (two wind turbines and a solar power plants for a total capacity of 3.7 MW) will be designed to operate synchronously with the drinking water network allowing for substantial savings in service management.

Finally, emphasis will be placed on capacity building for the two utilities, the project’s contracting authority in the spirit of the operationalization of the water sector reform.

The project will improve the living conditions of the population in both targeted districts by improving access to water and sanitation. Households newly connected to the drinking water network will see a reduction in the share of their budget allocated to water expenses, currently supplied by tanker trucks. The sanitation work will have a positive impact on public health and quality of the natural environment and groundwater resources.

Thus, 20,000 additional people will benefit from a drinking water supply service, and 3,000 people will benefit from a sanitation service. Finally, the production of 5600 MWh of renewable energy per year will save 4000 tons of CO2 each year.