Gov't is studying six wind, solar energy plants' offers

AMMAN — Jordan is awaiting technical and financial offers to implement six wind and solar energy power plants with a total capacity of 300 megawatts (MW), the government said on Saturday.

"We have shortlisted 45 companies and consortia under the third direct proposals stage and we will get their technical and financial offers by the end of this month," Minister of Energy Saleh Kharabsheh told The Jordan Times.

Four solar energy projects with a total capacity of 50MW each be implemented under the third phase, while two wind energy projects with a capacity of 50MW each will be built under this stage, the minister added.

In 2014, Jordan cancelled plans to accept proposals to undertake these six projects under the third phase of direct proposals due to the limited capacity of the national grid. However, the Kingdom later resumed plans for the third stage after floating a tender to expand the grid’s capacity by an additional 1,000MW.

A total of 31 companies and consortia were shortlisted for the solar projects including Linuo Group Company Ltd., FRV Solar Holding VIII B.V., International Power SA Dubai Branch, a consortium of ACWA Power and Chint Solar Co. Ltd., TOTAL Solar, S.A.S., TBEA Xinjaing Sunoasis Co. Ltd., among others, according to the ministry's website.

Companies shortlisted for the wind projects include Alcazar Energy Partners, Sam Green Power, ACWA Power Global Service, Eesti Energia Aktsiaselts a consortium of Korea Southern Power Company and EMA Power Investments Ltd., among others. 

"These projects are fundamental in helping achieve the national energy strategy that entails diversifying energy resources and increasing reliance on renewable energy," the minister said. 

Jordan, which imports about 97 per cent of its energy needs annually at about 18 per cent of the gross domestic product, is implementing an energy strategy aimed at boosting renewable energy contribution to the overall energy mix from 3 per cent to 10 per cent by 2020.

Several projects were implemented under the first phase with a total capacity of 200MW and projects implemented under the second phase have a total capacity of 200MW.