NETHERLANDS MAY SUPPORT GAS PROJECT IN GAZA

Prime Minister of Netherlands Mark Rutte (R) and Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah (L) sign files during the 2nd Dutch-Palestinian Cooperation Forum organised at Bel Air Hotel in Lahey, Netherlands yesterday

Gaza, 18 Muharram 1437/31 October 2015 (MINA) –The Dutch government is willing to support the natural gas project in the Gaza Strip to provide electricity in the besieged strip, Palestinian unity government Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah announced yesterday.

In a statement on the sidelines of the second Dutch-Palestinian Cooperation Forum held in Amsterdam yesterday, Hamdallah said the Netherlands had agreed to support the natural gas project for a power and water desalination plant in the Gaza Strip.

Zafer Milhem, executive chairman of the Palestinian Electricity Regulatory Council, told an Anadolu correspondent that the unity government is determined to change the power plant in Gaza to allow it to operate on natural gas in the near future rather than industrial fuels. Middle East Monitor (MEMO) reported

Milhem had told the Anadolu correspondent earlier that “the plan would take eight months in order to allow the power plant in Gaza to work on natural gas,” explaining that “the plant was originally designed to work on natural gas, but it was adapted to work on industrial fuel over the past few years due to the lack of natural gas at the time.”

Gaza suffers from a severe energy crisis which forces the Gaza electricity company to cut off electricity to some areas and provide it to others. The amount of energy provided by Israel and Egypt does not meet Gaza’s daily energy needs.

Gaza requires 360-370 megawatts of electricity in order to operate 24 hours, but it only receives 210 megawatts, 120 from Israel, 32 from Egypt, and 60 from its own power plant. (T/P002/R03)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)