‘Gov’t to select six companies to build wind-run power plants’

AMMAN — Jordan has signed memoranda of understanding with 22 local and international companies to build wind-run power plants, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources said on Wednesday.

The companies have until the end of May to submit their technical and financial offers for building the plants, Energy Minister Mohammad Hamed told The Jordan Times in a phone interview.

“The government will select six companies out of the 22. Each of the six companies will build a 50-megwatt (MW) wind-run power plant,” said the minister, who expects the names of the winning companies to be announced during the third quarter of this year.

Hamed added that the Cabinet is also expected to issue a decision in May approving a $187 million project by the Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) to build a 90MW wind-operated power station.

“When the Cabinet approves the project, the ministry will start procedures to sign a final agreement with the Korean company,” Hamed said.

He added that the plant, which will be located in Fujeij 150 kilometres south of Amman, is expected to be operational and connected to the grid by late 2015.

In 2013, the ministry signed an initial agreement with KEPCO for building the plant.

Renewable energy currently accounts for less than 1 per cent of the energy mix in Jordan. The Kingdom seeks to increase its contribution to 10 per cent by 2020.

Energy experts have often called for implementing wind energy projects in the Kingdom, since wind speeds in Jordan are as high as 7.5 metres per second and are up to 11.5 metres per second in hilly areas.