Jordan suffers from a heavy reliance on energy imports which represented a significant economic burden for the kingdom since long time, with energy supplies becoming increasingly unreliable. Under Jordan’s Vision 2025 strategy, launched in May 2015, the government aims to raise the proportion of energy consumption met by local supplies from around 2% last year to 39% over the course of the next decade.

Jordan has made important progress this year towards improving its energy independence. This is particularly true in the case of renewable energy, the contribution of which the government intends to raise from 1.5% of the total energy mix to 11% by 2025, while aiming to reach a 15% contribution from nuclear power over the same timeframe.

Jordan has made considerable inroads in other solar energy projects this year. In May the kingdom selected four companies in a second-round tender to develop 50 MW of solar capacity each, taking advantage of irradiance levels in southern Jordan that are amongst the highest in the world, at around 6.4 KWh/sq meter/day. Even in the relatively shady parts of the north and the Rift Valley, irradiation averages 4.4-4.8 KWh/sq meter/day, giving the country overall an average of 5.6 KWh/sq meter/day.

The government had already awarded licenses for 14 projects (12 solar and two wind) with a combined capacity of 200 MW earlier this year.

The biggest development to be approved under the first tender round was the 52.5-MW Shams Maan Solar Photovoltaic Project – also the largest solar energy project in the Middle East according to Jordan’s Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour. Construction on the $170m development began in June with the project due to be completed next year.

Source: Middle East Business news and Events (ifpinfo) Read more