'Fils Al Reef powers 5,169 homes, 371 sites in 2024'

AMMAN — A total of 5,169 homes and 371 sites benefited from Jordan's rural electrification projects at a financial cost of about JD14.16 million in 2024, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources announced on Thursday.

The ministry said that Fils Al Reef, a fee added to each kilowatt a household uses, contributed to expanding the Kingdom's electricity network to cover all segments of the population, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. 

The ministry added that this effort focused on small rural communities, mainly residential blocks consisting of only five homes, as 434 homes were powered at a financial cost of some JD2.13 million.

Fils Al Reef also supported 929 individual homes located outside the regulatory boundaries at a cost of JD652,502.

The ministry stressed its commitment to improving residents' living standard of areas outside the regulatory boundaries to provide support to homes of impoverished households, as JD97,026 was allocated to serve 97 homes.

Fils Al Reef contributed to increasing the capacity of transformer stations to reduce weak power current and decrease electrical loss, at a cost of JD208,444 and lighting of 104 cemeteries was financed with JD675,489 to improve services for citizens.

In the field of supporting productive sectors, 37 agricultural, industrial and investment projects in areas outside the regulatory boundaries benefited from Fils Al Reef at a cost of around JD1.02 million.

The ministry referred to the contribution of Fils Al Reef in supporting government and security projects by allocating some JD4.88 million to help enterprises of government sectors, cooperatives and charitable societies in remote areas.

In the context of exploiting alternative energy, a tender was floated to install solar cell systems connected to the Kingdom's network for 1,086 homes for underprivileged families, while solar systems were allocated to benefit 1,493 military injured personnel, which would contribute to improving their life quality.

Regarding the initiative to replace lighting units, 410,000 traditional lighting fixtures were replaced with energy-saving units (LED), at a cost of JD5 million, which reduced financial burdens and achieved a "safer" environment in municipalities.

The ministry pledged to continue to implement projects to support "sustainable" energy in remote areas to ensure a "more sustainable and safe" environment for citizens nationwide.

The ministry noted electricity is delivered to Jordan's villages and rural communities under regular networks or renewable energy sources, aimed to reduce the financial burdens on citizens and provide power to remote homes and sites and cutting electricity bill for low-income families.

On Fils Al Reef's policy, the ministry said that the initiative operates according to the principles and instructions approved by the Council of Ministers, aimed to achieve local development and meet needs of rural communities, focusing on energy sustainability in remote areas by using local sources, mainly solar energy.