Negev building solar energy plants in the Negev. As director of Ben-Gurion National Solar Energy Center, he operates one of the largest solar dishes in the world. Technically, however, the Arava is a separate desert with its own unique climate and ecology. A 250 MW solar park in Ashalim, an area in the northern Negev, was in the planning stages for over five years, but it is not expected to produce power before 2013. In 2008 construction began on three solar power plants near the city; two thermal and one photovoltaic. The Rotem Industrial Complex outside of Dimona, Israel, has dozens
Incense Route – Desert Cities in the Negev on the river banks and hill slopes in Avdat and central Negev where a very large number of water collection cairns built in stone are present. Twenty-two milestones have been found in the Nafha Highlands and the Ramon Makhtesh areas between the Makhmal Fort and the Saharonim Fort. They are cylindrical in shape with square bases made of stone. Field stones are also seen set in different patterns at road crossings, or as religious sites. One stretch of such arranged stones is in length. Road sections are also discerned in several stretches of the route. Incense Route – Desert Cities