Dead Sea. By means of this shaft the Mediterranean sea and the storage pool behave according to the principle of communicating vessels. Hence the storage pool automatically supplies potential energy to comply fully with the widest range of potential requirements. Due to the climatic conditions between 60–70 m3 water evaporate from the Dead Sea per second. At present these quantities are not replaced by natural influent resulting in a steady drop of the Dead Sea's level while increasing concentration of dissolved salts. If only the evaporation losses are replaced by water from the Mediterranean sea the power station will have an average output of 160 MWe. A total of 300 MWe is available at short time for peak loads. The underground power station is designed to allow a wide variety of requirements. Before being fed into the turbines, the artificially stored water from the Mediterranean can be used as cooling water for a thermal power station with an output of approx. 1000 MWe. The waste heat, in turn, can be used for desalting the seawater. The resulting fresh water can be used to irrigate the arid areas around the Dead Sea. The idea was revived during the 1980s for the purpose of power generation following the 1973 oil crisis. The Mediterranean–Dead Sea Company studied various alternatives and recommended a route from the Gaza Strip to Masada. However, the project did not commence due to economic and financial doubts. The idea was brought up again during the 1990s. In addition to the Gaza Strip–Masada route, two other alternatives were considered, namely a Red Sea–Dead Sea Water Conveyance and a northern route from the Mediterranean to the Bet She'an Valley. As of 2009, the Red Sea–Dead Sea Water Conveyance was a joint Jordanian, Israeli and Palestinian project. In 2011, the World Bank released a study with recommendations for moving forward. References In Hebrew: רון שפיגל, תעלת הימים בראי התקשורת 1994–1987 External links June 25, 2007, rawstory.com: Eleven firms qualify for Dead Sea–Red Sea canal: Jordan Quote: "…Once the proposals are in hand, representatives from Israel, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority will meet in Paris with the World Bank to examine the offers and announce two winners, he said…" Information from Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs American University project information Dead Sea Project The Jerusalem Post, The Med–Dead/Red–Dead headache Proposed canals Dead Sea Eastern Mediterranean Water transport in the Mediterranean