Jordan signs agreement to increase power exports to Palestine

AMMAN — Jordan and Palestine on Wednesday signed an agreement to increase the Kingdom’s power exports to Palestine from 26 megawatts to 80.

The deal was signed by Director General of the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) Amjad Rawashdeh and Director General of the Jerusalem District Electricity Company (JDECO) Hisham Omari. Minister of Energy Hala Zawati also attended the ceremony, according to a ministry statement.  

Under the agreement, NEPCO will establish Al Ramah Transfer Station 33/132 KV, expected to be completed by the end of this year. JDECO committed to covering the cost. 

Jordan currently has the capacity to send 26 megawatts to the cities of Jericho and Ghor, however, the agreement would expand this to 80 megawatts and include the areas of Jerusalem, Azariya and Abu Dis.

In her statements to the press after the signing ceremony, Zawati highlighted the importance of the move in enhancing Jordanian-Palestinian energy cooperation.

She also pointed to the importance of the project in improving the stability of the Kingdom’s electricity system and realising energy integration, expressing her readiness to provide all technical support and make Jordanian expertise available to increase the reliability of Palestine’s electric power system. 

Rawashdeh, for his part, noted that this agreement is the second phase of the Jordanian-Palestinian power connection project, highlighting the economic impact of the project, which puts the Kingdom’s power-generating capacity to use.

Omari lauded the Jordanian support to Palestine, stressing that this project contributes to offsetting power shortages in Palestine and diversifying energy sources.

NEPCO has been providing Jericho with electricity since 2008, according to the statement.