Jordan signs deal for coal-fuelled power plant

AMMAN — Jordan on Tuesday signed an agreement to build its "first coal-fuelled power plant", the Energy Ministry said.

“This is the first power plant in Jordan that runs on coal," said Energy Minister Ibrahim Saif, adding that around 70 per cent of electricity globally is produced by coal. 

The plant will run on coal and petroleum coke, the minister said.

Under the deal, signed by the ministry and Al Manaseer Group, construction of the 30-megawatt plant will begin in July.

It will be located in Qatraneh, in the south of Jordan, and will be built to the "highest standards" to preserve the environment, the minister said at a meeting with journalists. 

The plant is one of the government's initiatives to diversify energy resources to meet the rising demand for power, Saif said. 

The project is part of Jordan's energy strategy, under which 5 per cent of power will be generated by coal by 2025, he added. 

Muin Qadadeh, vice chairman of Al Manaseer Group, which is responsible for building the plant, said the project would be completed in two years.

Speaking to The Jordan Times after the signing of the deal, Qadadeh said the plant would supply energy to Al Manaseer's cement factory in Qatraneh, greatly reducing the company's electricity bill. 

The new plant will be built in line with the highest international standards, he added.