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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.

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US Energy Secretary Says Riyadh and Washington to Sign Civil Nuclear Agreement

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright speaks at the press conference in the Saudi capital Riyadh. Photo: Turki al-Aqaili
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright speaks at the press conference in the Saudi capital Riyadh. Photo: Turki al-Aqaili
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US Energy Secretary Says Riyadh and Washington to Sign Civil Nuclear Agreement

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright speaks at the press conference in the Saudi capital Riyadh. Photo: Turki al-Aqaili
US Energy Secretary Chris Wright speaks at the press conference in the Saudi capital Riyadh. Photo: Turki al-Aqaili

The United States and Saudi Arabia will sign a preliminary agreement on energy cooperation and civilian nuclear technology, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said on Sunday.

Wright spoke at a press conference in the Saudi capital Riyadh where he arrived from the United Arab Emirates on Saturday as part of a regional tour that will also take him to Qatar.

His visit comes amid world economic turmoil over the tariffs imposed by US President Donald Trump. But Wright said that these tariffs don’t seek to restrict trade, rather they aim for fair and reciprocal trade.

His visit also comes ahead of an expected visit by Trump to the Kingdom, the UAE and Qatar in May to consolidate relations.

The US Energy Secretary told journalists at the Saudi Energy Ministry that Riyadh and Washington were on a "pathway" to reaching an agreement to work together to better develop energy resources and energy infrastructure, in addition to mining cooperation, civilian nuclear technology and energy production.

Wright said further details over a memorandum detailing the energy cooperation between Riyadh and Washington would come later this year.

Saudi Minister of Energy Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman announced last September that the Kingdom is working to develop peaceful uses for nuclear energy across various fields.

In his press conference on Sunday, Wright discussed the meetings he has held in Riyadh. There have “been very wide ranging dialogues for a day and a half now and they're going to continue. We've talked about energy in all aspects of energy. We've talked about mining, critical materials. We've talked about processing in industry. We've talked about climate change. We've talked about human lives and what drives their improvement and how best to achieve those ends,” he said.

On Saturday, Prince Abdulaziz met with Wright at King Abdullah Petroleum Studies and Research Center (KAPSARC) where the US official was briefed on the Center's role in the fields of energy policy research and its transitions, climate change, sustainable transportation, and consultancy services, in addition to the development of models and analytical tools that contribute to finding solutions to current challenges in the energy sector. They also discussed opportunities for cooperation in energy research, exchange of expertise, and strengthening joint research efforts.

Wright said Sunday that he believed “Saudi Arabia will be one of the leading countries in investing in the United States. I think that's a win for the Kingdom here. It's a win for the United States. And for us, most importantly, it's a win for the working class and American citizens to have better job opportunities.”

He added that the “broader objectives” of the US and Saudi Arabia “are prosperity at home and peace abroad.”

Wright also said in response to a question by Asharq Al-Awsat that tariffs are part of Trump's economic agenda.

He said Trump is trying to grow the flow of goods outside the United States into other countries while sustaining imports and engagement with countries from around the world. “So that's a way you could describe this. Fair trade, not restricted trade, just fair trade, reciprocal trade.”

He added that the United States has seen a lot of its intensive industries, particularly energy, move outside of the country and be outsourced somewhere else. “Too many Americans have seen their job opportunities shift overseas.”

“So tariffs are also a way to give a nudge and encourage investment into our country, to make products in our country, to grow economic opportunity and prosperity in America.”