"The transition to natural gas will significantly reduce air pollution and allow patients, and residents in the vicinity of hospitals, to breathe cleaner and healthier air," said Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz.
The Natural Gas Authority in the Energy Ministry published a call for natural gas distribution companies, offering grants to companies that connect additional hospitals to the natural gas distribution system.
In July, the government approved a decision by Steinitz to provide additional funding amounting to NIS 40 million for the transfer of hospitals to natural gas amid the coronavirus crisis.
The hospitals will be connected to cogeneration power stations which will provide all required energy resources to the hospitals, including electricity, heating and air condition.
About two years ago, Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot became the first hospital in Israel to be connected to the natural gas distribution system, with Soroka Medical Center following a year later.
Puria Medical Center in Tiberias, Assaf Harofeh Medical Center in Beer Yaakov, Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon and Hadassah-University Medical Center have all been connected to natural gas lines and will start functioning on natural gas in the near future.
Ha'emek Medical Center in Afula, Ziv Medical Center in Safed, Hillel Yaffe Medical Center in Hadera, Rabin Medical Center-Beilinson Campus and Sheba Medical Center at Tel Hashomer are expected to be connected to the natural gas distribution system as well by the end of the year.Overall, 16 government and non-government hospitals will be connected to the natural gas distribution system, with annual consumption expected to be about 132 million cubic meters of natural gas per year.