Note 4 - Unconsolidated Investments

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2013

Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]

Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures Disclosure [Text Block]

NOTE 4 — UNCONSOLIDATED INVESTMENTS

Unconsolidated investments, mainly in power plants, consist of the following:

	December 31,
	2013		2012
	(Dollars in thousands)
Sarulla	$	7,076	$	2,591

The Sarulla Project

The Company is a 12.75% member of a consortium which is in the process of developing the Sarulla geothermal power project in Indonesia with expected generating capacity of approximately 330 megawatts (“MW”). The Sarulla project is located in Tapanuli Utara, North Sumatra, Indonesia and will be owned and operated by the consortium members under the framework of a Joint Operating Contract (“JOC”) and Energy Sales Contract (“ESC”) that were signed on April 4, 2013. Under the JOC, PT Pertamina Geothermal Energy (“PGE”), the concession holder for the project, has provided the consortium with the right to use the geothermal field, and under the ESC, PT PLN, the state electric utility, will be the off-taker at Sarulla for a period of 30 years. In addition to its equity holdings in the consortium, the Company designed the Sarulla plant and is expected to supply its Ormat Energy Converters (“OECs”) to the power plant. The supply contract was signed in October 2013. 

The consortium has started preliminary testing and development activities at the site and signed an engineering procurement and construction agreement (“EPC”) with an unrelated third party. The project will be constructed in three phases of 110 MW each, utilizing both steam and brine extracted from the geothermal field to increase the power plant’s efficiency. Construction is expected to begin after the consortium obtains financing, which is expected to occur in the first half of 2014. The first phase is scheduled to commence operation in 2016, and the remaining two phases are scheduled to be completed in stages within 18 months thereafter.

During 2013, the Company made additional investment contributions of $4.6 million to the Sarulla project that were consistent with the consortium ownership structure.

The Company’s share in the results of operations of the Sarulla project was not significant for each of the years presented in these consolidated financial statements.