Jordan Inaugurates 50MW Wind Power Plant

Jordan Inaugurates 50MW Wind Power Plant
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Jordan Inaugurates 50MW Wind Power Plant

Jordan Inaugurates 50MW Wind Power Plant

Jordan’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Hala Zawati inaugurated Friday a new wind power plant in Tafileh governorate, southwest of Amman, at a total cost of $102 million.

During the inauguration ceremony, Zawati said the Ministry has been developing an energy strategy to keep pace with growth in power demand in conjunction with efforts to diversify energy sources and reduce costs.

Jordan focuses on providing energy sources from local and eco-friendly resources to ensure energy security and independence, stressed Zawati.

She added that the Kingdom aims at increasing the contribution of renewable energy to the total energy mix to 10 percent by 2020, about 20 percent of the consumed electricity in the country.

The Minister pointed out that Jordan is currently working on implementing the objectives of the energy strategy approved in 2007 to use the sun and wind energy to generate 1,600 MW by 2019 and 2,400 MW by 2020.

These projects will be implemented and account for about 20 percent of electricity generation by 2020.

“There are currently about 800 MW of wind and solar projects operating in the Kingdom, and the progress in the renewable energy sector has made Jordan a leading country in the region," Zawati explained.

She praised the performance of Korean companies in Jordan and their role in contributing to increase Jordan's capacity in the field of energy and ensuring security of electricity supply, which constitutes an important economic pillar.

South Korea's Ambassador to Jordan Lee Boom-Yun, for his part, underscored the importance of cooperation with Jordan and hailed the role of his country's companies in promoting alternative resources of energy.

Officials from, two Korean sponsors, KOSPO and Daelim, presented details of the project.

"The successful financial closure of the project took place in September at a total cost of about $102 million," they said.

They expected to connect the project to the electricity network of the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) during 2020, which will produce about 145 GWh per year.

Zawati, on Wednesday, also laid the foundation stone for solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant, dubbed "AM Solar," which cost $50 million, at Madounah area, east of Amman.



9 EU Countries Call for Talks on Ending Trade with Israeli Settlements

Israeli soldiers take aim during a raid in the old town of Nablus city in the occupied West Bank on June 10, 2025. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
Israeli soldiers take aim during a raid in the old town of Nablus city in the occupied West Bank on June 10, 2025. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
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9 EU Countries Call for Talks on Ending Trade with Israeli Settlements

Israeli soldiers take aim during a raid in the old town of Nablus city in the occupied West Bank on June 10, 2025. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)
Israeli soldiers take aim during a raid in the old town of Nablus city in the occupied West Bank on June 10, 2025. (Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP)

Nine European Union countries have called on the European Commission to come up with proposals on how to discontinue EU trade with Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, according to a letter seen by Reuters on Thursday.

The letter, addressed to EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, was signed by foreign ministers from Belgium, Finland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

The EU is Israel's biggest trading partner, accounting about a third of its total goods trade. Two-way goods trade between the bloc and Israel stood at 42.6 billion euros ($48.91 billion) last year, though it was unclear how much of that trade involved settlements.

The ministers pointed to a July 2024 advisory opinion from the International Court of Justice, which said Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories and settlements there are illegal. It said states should take steps to prevent trade or investment relations that help maintain the situation.

"We have not seen a proposal to initiate discussions on how to effectively discontinue trade of goods and services with the illegal settlements," the ministers wrote.

"We need the European Commission to develop proposals for concrete measures to ensure compliance by the Union with the obligations identified by the Court," they added.

Israel's diplomatic mission to the EU did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Belgian Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said Europe must ensure trade policy is in line with international law.

"Trade cannot be disconnected from our legal and moral responsibilities," the minister said in a statement to Reuters.

"This is about ensuring that EU policies do not contribute, directly or indirectly, to the perpetuation of an illegal situation," he said.

The ministers' letter comes ahead of a meeting in Brussels on June 23 where EU foreign ministers are set to discuss the bloc's relationship with Israel.

Ministers are expected to receive an assessment on whether Israel is complying with a human rights clause in a pact governing its political and economic ties with Europe, after the bloc decided to review Israel's adherence to the agreement due to the situation in Gaza.