Electricity Concessions in Palestine before 1948 (Nakba),British Mandate: A Survey of Palestine: Volume II - Page 972. Chapter XXV: Concessions and Mining : Section 1: Concessions : (b)

CHAPTER XXV.

The Company is endeavouring to negotiate a Convention with the Government of Trans-Jordan to enable the passage of the pipeline from Saudi Arabia through Trans-Jordan to Palestine ..

(b) Electricity concessions.

6. There are three concessions granting exclusive rights to generate and supply electrical energy; these three together cover the whole country.

7. The J ernsa7ern concession. A concession was granted by an agreement made between the High Commissioner and a Greek citizen, dated 25th February, 1926, (amended on 4th April, ln28), replacing a previous agreement of 16th January, 1914 between the Turkish authorities and the concessionaire covering an area contained in an imaginary circle of a radius of twenty kilometres having as its centre the central dome of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. Under the agreement of 1926 the concessionaire was obliged to form a Company for the purpose of taking over and carrying out the concession; a company entitled "The Jerusalem Electric and Public Service Corporation" was formed accordingly and began to supply energy in 1929. The concession is for a period of forty-four years with an extension of sixteen years and is granted for the purpose of generating, supplying and distributing electrical energy within the concession area. The concession was validated by the Electricity Concession (Jerusalem) Ordinance, 1930 in the schedule to which the terms of the agreement are set out in full ".

8. The Auja Concession. By an indenture made on 12th September, 1921, between the High Commissioner and Mr. Pinhas Rutenberg a concession for a period of thirty-two years (with provision for renewal) was granted for the utilization of the waters of the Auja basin for the purpose of generating, utilizing and supplying electrical energy and for irrigation within the District at that time under the jurisdiction of the Governor of Jaffa (approximately the present District of Lydda). Under this indenture the concessionaire was obliged to form a limited liability company to take over and work the concession; a company entitled the Jaffa Electric Company Limited (subsequently amalgamated in the Palestine Electric Corporation) was formed accordingly. The concession was validated by the Electricity Concessions Ordinance 1927 in Part II of the second schedule of which its terms are set out in full **. In 1929 the Palestine Electric Corporation formed
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* Drayton, Vol. I, Page 658.
** Drayton, Vol. I, page 646. •