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AMMAN — The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources is advancing a series of strategic projects to expand natural gas supplies to industrial clusters across the Kingdom as part of the Economic Modernisation Vision, Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Saleh Kharabsheh said on Sunday.
In a press statement, Kharabsheh said the initiative aims to reduce energy costs, strengthen the competitiveness of Jordan's industrial sector and enhance the security of energy supplies.
The government is working to diversify energy sources at reasonable costs, he said, noting that replacing diesel with natural gas can reduce fuel costs for industries by up to 50 per cent.
Kharabsheh said the natural gas network has already been extended to the Qastal Industrial Zone and Hashemiyeh.
He added that Prime Minister Jafar Hassan recently inaugurated a pressure reduction and metering station in the Quweirah Industrial Zone, along with the southern region station in Aqaba, enabling factories to receive natural gas and supporting efforts to attract new industrial investments.
The minister said work is under way to extend the natural gas network to the Muwaqqar Industrial Zone and the Maan Development Zone.
He added that a consultancy services agreement has been signed to prepare the technical studies needed to supply gas to the Mafraq Development Zone and the new industrial zone in Zarqa, with the projects across the targeted industrial clusters expected to be completed within three years.
To serve industrial facilities located outside major industrial zones, the ministry is also establishing compressed natural gas (CNG) stations, Kharabsheh said. The stations will compress natural gas and transport it by tanker to factories and other economic sectors.
On domestic production, Kharabsheh said development of the Risha gas field is progressing according to schedule.
He noted that the National Petroleum Company is implementing a programme to drill 80 wells, with the goal of increasing production to around 418 million cubic feet per day by 2029, exceeding the electricity sector's current daily demand of 330 to 340 million cubic feet.
He added that the ministry is constructing a pipeline linking the Risha field to the Arab Gas Pipeline to strengthen the Kingdom's gas infrastructure and facilitate the use of locally produced natural gas.
Kharabsheh also highlighted the newly inaugurated regasification plant, describing it as a key component of Jordan's permanent energy infrastructure. The facility converts imported liquefied natural gas (LNG) into its gaseous state for transmission through the national pipeline network.
He said the plant replaces the floating storage unit used in previous years, providing a permanent solution that enhances the flexibility and reliability of the Kingdom's natural gas supply system.
