Neve Haim Program

Overarching goals

• Ensuring a reliable and sustainable energy and water security for a new development area.
• Blossoming desert areas and turning them into fertile land for agriculture and living.
• Development of an innovative and thriving urban and rural settlement center.
• Reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and reduction of dependence on fossil fuels.
• Demonstration of advanced technological capabilities and their integration into a synergistic system.
• Job creation and the promotion of regional economic growth.

The components of the facility and the synergy between them

The facility will include the following components, operating in synergy:

• Nuclear reactor (preferably an SMR – Small Modular Reactor)

  It will provide reliable and clean baseload energy for desalination, the power grid, and pumping systems.

• seawater desalination plant

  Produces fresh water for agriculture, drinking, and industry, powered by energy from the reactor and/or solar power.

• hydroelectric dam and water reservoir

  • It will serve as a pumped storage facility: excess solar energy will be used to pump water to the upper reservoir; during peak demand hours or when there is no sun, the water will be released to generate electricity.
  • It may also generate hydroelectric energy from the flow of treated wastewater or desalination excess, if relevant to the design.

• Floating solar panels (Floatovoltaics)

  They will be installed on the water reservoir, generate clean electricity, reduce evaporation, and utilize space efficiently.

The central synergy: The reactor provides a constant base load of energy, the solar array provides energy during daytime hours (including for charging the pumped storage), and the pumped storage provides flexibility and backup to the grid. The desalinated water enables agriculture and settlement, which benefit from clean and reliable energy supplied continuously.

integration into the geographical fabric

The vision for smart, stable, and ecological settlement in a desert space is being realized through a multi-layered model based on a functional and tiered settlement hierarchy, drawing inspiration from nature – from the stream to the capital city.

• Fundamentally, the space is defined by natural values and ecological corridors, which serve as a fundamental environmental asset – undisturbed nature reserves that maintain ecological balance.
• Above them, the second layer is based on ecological development points: "isolated farms" that utilize existing infrastructure (water, electricity, roads) with minimal disruption. These also serve as experiential attraction points based on environmental security.
• The third layer is rural agricultural settlement – moshavim and kibbutzim equipped with basic infrastructure, combining residence with advanced agricultural cultivation while preserving ecological boundaries.
• At the peak of the system stands urban settlement – a capital city or a metropolitan city, dense and technologically advanced, which provides community services, education, culture, and employment, and serves as a regional innovation center.

This combination gains additional depth when planning the location of 'Neve Haim', adapting to the local resources:

• The construction of the innovative energy facility will be based on an optimal location in an arid desert, with access to the coastline for the establishment of a desalination plant and controlled brine discharge into the sea. Suitable topography will enable the construction of a dam and a head reservoir for pumped storage, while efficiently utilizing the terrain conditions.
• Comprehensive spatial planning will include the definition of land uses, safety separation around sensitive components (such as reactors), and the integration of water and electricity transmission infrastructure. Around the facility, modern agricultural areas and planned residential and employment zones will be developed as a smart and green city/village, incorporating advanced urban solutions in the fields of water and energy.
• Rigorous environmental considerations will form a cornerstone of all project phases, ranging from brine management to addressing the ecological impacts of the water reservoir and dam. A comprehensive environmental impact assessment will ensure that the facility operates with a sustainable approach and integrates harmoniously with the environment.

Key stakeholders

• Government of Israel: Ministries of Energy, Environmental Protection, Agriculture, Interior, Finance, Construction and Housing, Negev and Galilee.
• Regulatory bodies: Electricity Authority, Water Authority, Atomic Energy Commission, planning and building committees.
• Funding bodies: banks, institutional investors, private equity funds, international development banks.
• Technology companies: nuclear reactor suppliers, desalination technologies, solar panels, hydroelectric turbines.
• The public: future residents of the area, environmental and social organizations, the scientific community.
• Agricultural and industrial sector: The future water and energy consumers.

Work plan stages

Financing and cash flow

Initial capital expenditure estimation

Establishing a complex of such a scale, including a nuclear reactor, a massive desalination facility, a dam and pumped storage, large solar farms, and associated infrastructure, is a mega-project with unprecedented costs on an Israeli scale. A very rough estimate, which depends on final specifications, the number of reactor units, the scope of desalination, topographical complexity, and construction methods, could range in the tens of billions of dollars (for example, $50-100 billion or even more).

Blended Finance model

• Direct public investment/state guarantees: For strategic components (nuclear reactor, dam and reservoir infrastructure).
• Private financing (equity and loans): For technology companies and entrepreneurs (solar farm, desalination parts).
• Public-Private Partnership (PPP): For large sections of the project.
• Dedicated investment funds for infrastructure and green energy: local and international.
• Green Bonds and/or project bonds.
• Research and Development (R&D) grants.

Pricing of facility outputs

It shall be determined in a manner that ensures a reasonable return on investment while maintaining affordable prices for consumers, possibly through cross-subsidization or government support during initial periods.

Logistical and operational aspects during the setup phase

Professional manpower required

• Management and Engineering: Project managers, civil, mechanical, electrical, nuclear, chemical, environmental, and safety engineers, logisticians, surveyors.
• Professional workers: welders, pipefitters, electricians, heavy equipment operators, concrete workers, ironworkers, instrumentation and control technicians, divers.
• Support teams: administration, human resources, security, occupational health.

Main raw materials

• Concrete: millions of tons of cement, sand, gravel, and water.
• Steel: Hundreds of thousands to millions of tons of reinforcing, structural, and special alloy steel.
• Excavation and fill materials: millions of cubic meters of earth and rock.
• Piping: Many kilometers of piping in various diameters, made of diverse materials.
• Cables: thousands of kilometers of power and communication cables.
• Complex components: turbines, generators, pumps, transformers, desalination membranes, solar panels, nuclear core components.
• Chemicals: for construction processes, water treatment, and more.

Central Mechanical and Engineering Equipment

• Earthmoving equipment: excavators, bulldozers, graders, heavy dump trucks, loaders.
• Cranes: tower cranes, mobile cranes with a very high lifting capacity.
• Stationary and mobile concrete mixers, concrete pumps.
• Drilling and blasting equipment (conventional).
• Pipe-laying equipment and heavy mechanical assemblies.
• Vessels and marine equipment (for the installation of marine intake/discharge facilities).
• Special transport equipment for large and heavy components.

Project management

• National project manager (or dedicated body): A statutory body to be established and entrusted with leading the project, coordination, supervision, and control.
• Operating company (SPV – Special Purpose Vehicle): A dedicated company may be established for construction, operation, and maintenance.
• Steering committees and professional working teams.
• Transparency and public reporting.
• Proactive risk management.
• A strict and independent regulatory oversight array.