Senior official at Discount: "More and more kibbutzim want to become real partners in projects"

At the Globes Kibbutz Growth Conference, Jenny Halfin, Head of Infrastructure at Discount Bank, said that more and more kibbutzim want to transition from land lessees to real partners in renewable energy projects. The bank offers bridge financing and short-term financing solutions.

Jenny Halfin, Head of Infrastructure at Discount Bank, said at the Globes Kibbutz Growth Conference that more and more kibbutzim want to transition from land lessees to real partners in renewable energy projects. According to her, in the past kibbutzim leased land, chicken coops, and roofs to external entrepreneurs, but today they are taking an entrepreneurial approach and entering as partners in projects. Halfin noted that kibbutzim have identified the potential in the renewable energy sector and have developed land and resources. The bank, she said, has been financing thousands of megawatts of projects for 15-20 years, and now offers bridge financing to entrepreneurs even before all agreements are closed, as well as short-term financing solutions of four to six years. Halfin also addressed the field of data centers as an emerging market with regulation that is not yet finalized, and collaborations with institutional investors seeking returns.