Zawati opens Fujeij wind energy project

AMMAN — Deputising for Prime Minister Omar Razzaz, Energy Minister Hala Zawati on Tuesday inaugurated the Fujeij Project for wind energy with a capacity of 89 megawatts.

The project can produce 24 per cent of the compound wind energy connected to the national power grid.

The total cost is $180 million, financed by the Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO), which also implemented the scheme, according to a ministry statement.

Zawati highlighted the importance of the venture in increasing the compound capacity of the wind energy connected to the power grid to 372MW, making the total capacity of renewable energy 1,423MW.

Over the past 10 years, Jordan has faced several challenges, one of which came from its reliance on imported energy. The Kingdom imported 98 per cent of its energy needs in 2011, the minister noted. 

This challenge, she added, required strategising goals to focus on reliable, sustainable and safe energy that is cost-efficient and secured through self-reliance and a variety of resources.  

Zawati said that power generated from renewable sources went up from 1 per cent in 2014 to 10 per cent in 2018. She expects the rate to reach 20 per cent in 2020/2021.

The national power grid today receives more than 1,423MW of renewable energy, 1,051MW from solar and 372MW from wind resources, and is expected to reach the 2,400MW goal in 2021 instead of 2025 as originally planned, the minister added.

National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) CEO Amjad Rawashdeh said the company currently operates 20 projects and is following up on building, installing and inspecting 12 projects on solar and wind energies.

South Korean Ambassador to Amman Lee Jae-wan said that the Fujeij project is a “qualitative transformation” in the use of clean energy and is part of the Kingdom’s endeavours to utilise wind energy.

Jong Kap-kim, president of KEPCO, which owns the Fujeij Wind Energy Company, said that cooperation with Jordan started in 2008 and has resulted in three projects.