The Eshkol Power Station is a power station

Power station

A power station is an industrial facility for the generation of electric energy....

 supplying electrical power

Electric power

Electric power is the rate at which electric energy is transferred by an electric circuit. The SI unit of power is the watt.-Circuits:Electric power, like mechanical power, is represented by the letter P in electrical equations...

 to the Shephelah

Shephelah

The Shephelah is a designation usually applied to the region in south-central Israel of 10-15 km of low hills between the central Mount Hebron and the coastal plains of Philistia within the area of the Judea, at an altitude of 120-450 metres above sea level. The area is fertile, and a temperate...

 region in Israel

Israel

The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...

. It is located in north industrial zone of Ashdod near the mouth of the Lahish River, close to the Port of Ashdod

Port of Ashdod

The Port of Ashdod is one of Israel's two main cargo ports. The port is located in Ashdod, about 40 kilometers south of Tel Aviv, adjoining the mouth of the Lachish River. Its establishment doubled the country's port capacity. It is a major point of entry for both cargo and tourists in and out of...

 which providing the plant with fuel oil

Fuel oil

Fuel oil is a fraction obtained from petroleum distillation, either as a distillate or a residue. Broadly speaking, fuel oil is any liquid petroleum product that is burned in a furnace or boiler for the generation of heat or used in an engine for the generation of power, except oils having a flash...

. The power station is also close to the sea since its cooling system is using sea water.

Like other significant power stations in Israel, Eshkol Power Station belongs to Israel Electric Corporation

Israel Electric Corporation

Israel Electric Corporation is the main supplier of electrical power in Israel.IEC builds, maintains and operates power generation stations, sub-stations, as well as the transmission and distribution networks....

. It is third biggest power plant in Israel in terms of production ability, providing 7.3 percent of electricity production by IEC

Israel Electric Corporation

Israel Electric Corporation is the main supplier of electrical power in Israel.IEC builds, maintains and operates power generation stations, sub-stations, as well as the transmission and distribution networks....

.

The power station was named after Levi Eshkol

Levi Eshkol

' served as the third Prime Minister of Israel from 1963 until his death from a heart attack in 1969. He was the first Israeli Prime Minister to die in office.-Biography:...

 former Prime Minister of Israel

Prime Minister of Israel

The Prime Minister of Israel is the head of the Israeli government and the most powerful political figure in Israel . The prime minister is the country's chief executive. The official residence of the prime minister, Beit Rosh Hamemshala is in Jerusalem...

.

History

In 1953, following an Israeli Government decision, surveyors and designers arrived at the desolate dunes to choose a site to build a new power station in the south of the country. Its builders lived in the regional settlements Rehovot

Rehovot

Rehovot is a city in the Center District of Israel, about south of Tel Aviv. According to the Israel Central Bureau of Statistics , at the end of 2009 the city had a total population of 112,700. Rehovot's official website estimates the population at 114,000.Rehovot was built on the site of Doron,...

 and Gedera

Gedera

-External links:** *...

.

The building of the Eshkol power station was completed in 1958 and included 3 units: 2 units of 50 MW, and one unit of 45 MW.

Electricity generating

Originally steam only, today Eshkol is multi unit power station. Eshkol was the first (2004). power station in Israel to produce electricity from natural gas.

Unit	Fuel	Capacity [MW]
Steam Steam Steam is the technical term for water vapor, the gaseous phase of water, which is formed when water boils. In common language it is often used to refer to the visible mist of water droplets formed as this water vapor condenses in the presence of cooler air...	fuel oil	150
Steam - Dual Purpose	fuel oil and natural gas	912
Gas Gas Gas is one of the three classical states of matter . Near absolute zero, a substance exists as a solid. As heat is added to this substance it melts into a liquid at its melting point , boils into a gas at its boiling point, and if heated high enough would enter a plasma state in which the electrons...  Turbines	Jet Engines	10
Combined Cycle	mixed	377
Total		1449.

• Natural Gaz Consumption - 223 tonnes per hour.
• Fuel Oil Consumption - 36 tonnes per hour.
• Cooling Water consumption - 186 tonnes per hour.

There is also sea water desalination

Desalination

Desalination, desalinization, or desalinisation refers to any of several processes that remove some amount of salt and other minerals from saline water...

 plant based on steam turbine.

One of the small private electricity producers is also located in Ashdod. It is operated under IEC

Israel Electric Corporation

Israel Electric Corporation is the main supplier of electrical power in Israel.IEC builds, maintains and operates power generation stations, sub-stations, as well as the transmission and distribution networks....

supervision.