On April 27, the Jordanian government launched a new solar power plant in Al-Qweira, in the southern province of Aqaba, with a capacity of 103 megawatts for domestic use.
It is the largest solar power plant in the Kingdom. The project was built on an area of about 3 million square meters and was implemented by a consortium of UAE and Spanish companies. The project started back in August 2016 with the participation of local contractors in the project by 85% and 15% of international contractors.
The cost of constructing the plant is about $ 120 million, provided by the “Abu Dhabi Fund for Development” in the form of a grant. The government has been using PV systems to implement the project. The National Electricity Company has also built a central station specifically for this project to connect the solar plant to the electricity grid.
The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Saleh Al-Kharabsheh, said that the energy sector was a major burden on the local economy, noting that the government has developed a comprehensive strategy for the energy sector, which includes a set of measures to reduce the burden of energy bill, and rely on local energy sources.
Renewable energy projects currently operating in Jordan contribute about 700 megawatts, accounting for about 8% of the total energy produced. The Jordanian government is seeking to produce 20% of electricity from renewable sources by 2020.
The minister pointed out that the value of investments in energy projects in Jordan is estimated at about $ 2 billion, and most of them are investments by the private sector. He also expressed his thanks and appreciation to the UAE for this generous support, in the form of a grant from the “Abu Dhabi Fund for Development”.
