FEHRL'S FIRM ISSUE 23
FEHRL Members’ Corner
By: Adi Gamliel
FEHRL – Board Member
Head of Strategy and Innovation Division
Netivei Israel – National Transport Infrastructure Company
Background
In the modern landscape of national infrastructure, resilience has evolved from a theoretical goal into a non-negotiable operational mandate.
As the National Transport Infrastructure Company of Israel, Netivei Israel is responsible for the integrity and functionality of the country’s intercity road network. In this role, ensuring the continuous flow of traffic is not merely a matter of convenience—it is a critical component of national security.
The most formidable challenge we face is the “Blackout” scenario: a large-scale, prolonged power outage that could last five days or more. In such a crisis, the ability to maintain functional traffic signals at strategic intersections is the difference between a managed emergency and total gridlock.
The Barrier
Historically, traffic signal continuity has been tethered to the vulnerabilities of the central power grid.
Netivei Israel manages approximately 700 signalized intersections, most of which were equipped with standard Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) systems. However, these systems presented a significant barrier to long-term resilience, offering a narrow backup window of only 6 to 10 hours.
Once this threshold was crossed, the company was forced to rely on the manual deployment of diesel-powered generators.
This traditional approach created several operational challenges:
- constant refueling requirements
- logistical bottlenecks
- noise pollution
- high carbon emissions
Furthermore, in a nationwide blackout scenario, manpower and fuel availability could not be guaranteed, leaving critical junctions at risk of going dark.
The Solution
To break this 10-hour barrier, the Innovation, Strategy, and ESG Division launched the “Blackout Challenge”, seeking a disruptive, green, and autonomous energy source.
The winning solution came from Phinergy, utilizing their proprietary Aluminum-Air technology.
This system generates electricity through an electrochemical reaction between aluminum and oxygen, offering a clean and silent alternative to fossil fuels.
The impact was transformative.
We successfully extended the operational autonomy of traffic intersections from 10 hours to 96 hours (4 days) of continuous power.
Beyond the ten-fold increase in duration, the system also provides:
- a seamless online transition during grid failure
- IoT-based remote monitoring for real-time system status
Most remarkably, the project moved from conceptual challenge to full-scale deployment in dozens of strategic intersections within six months, demonstrating that high-tech innovation can be implemented at the speed of operational need.
A working traffic light illuminates the darkness.
Summary
The success of this project serves as a masterclass in implementing innovation within a large-scale public utility.
True innovation is not achieved simply by finding a clever gadget. It is implemented only when a solution proves its operational effectiveness and when organizational trust is established.
This breakthrough was made possible through deep collaboration between:
- the Innovation, Strategy, and ESG Division
- the Operations and Maintenance Division
By aligning the future-ready vision of the innovation team with the ground-ready requirements of maintenance teams, we bridged the gap between theory and practice.
At Netivei Israel, we demonstrated that when trust is the foundation, technological innovation can successfully decouple critical infrastructure from grid vulnerabilities, ensuring the lights stay on even in the most challenging scenarios.
