Arava Power Company has commissioned Israel’s first solar faciltiy in Kibbutz Keturah, and plans to invest $2bn in 50 more power fields by the end of 2014.

The 5MW Katura Sun facility comprises 18,500 photovoltaic panels installed across 20 acres of land and is soon expected to be connected to Israel’s national power grid.

The plant is expected to reduce the carbon dioxide emissions by 125,000 metric tons over the next 20 years.

Arava vice-chairman David Rosenblatt told Reuters, “Arava plans to build nearly 50 solar fields for well over 400MW, an investment cost of roughly $2bn,”

The Katura facility will be hooked up to the national grid in the next few weeks.