Gov’t buys sun-generated electricity for first time

AMMAN — The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry and Shams Maan Company on Monday signed an agreement by which the former would buy from the latter electricity generated from solar energy with a capacity of 50 megawatts at the Maan Development Area (MDA). 

Energy Minister Mohammad Hamed said that this project is the first of its kind in Jordan and the largest in the region regarding its 50-megawatt capacity. He noted that the project will provide 500 job opportunities during the building and installation phase, and another 50 during the operation and maintenance phase.

According to a ministry statement after signing the agreement, carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, the investment value of this project will be around $150 million, which will produce 160 gigawatts of clean electrical power annually. The project is scheduled to operate in 2015. 

Signing similar agreements with other producers will follow during the next two weeks, the statement said.  

Hamed noted that most solar energy projects are located in MDA, with direct investment value of about $500 million, providing about 2,000 job opportunities in the building and installation phase, and 400 during the operation and maintenance phase during the project life of 20 years. 

In May 2012, the ministry launched the first phase of direct tenders, which resulted in signing 30 memoranda of understanding with qualified companies to develop projects of wind and solar energies with total capacity of about 850 megawatts in different regions in the Kingdom.