NEW ENERGY IN JORDAN

Sun and Wind are helping Jordan go Green
March 4, 2010 (Europa Jaratouna)

"Jordan is a country of sun and wind. Yet, until recently, energy sources used were exclusively fossil energies, namely oil and gas. Today, Jordan is seeking to diversify its sources…

"…[In the 1980s and 90s and] until the political changes on Iraqi regime in 2003…Iraq used to provide Jordan with oil at preferential prices…while the 60-70s era witnessed support from the gulf in oil support. After the 2003 political changes in the Middle East, oil prices exploded on international markets and Jordan found itself in a difficult situation…[Jordan] imports 96% of its energy needs…[and depends] on diesel for water heating and burners."

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"The Jordanian government sets up a series of initiatives to remedy the problem and make the country less vulnerable. The creation of… National Energy Research Centre [NERC] is one of the steps undertaken. In fact, the royal scientific society had a department engaged in renewable energies since 1972. A national centre has been established in the year 1996. It worked mainly on energy savings. Today, 97% of consumed energy is still from fossil sources (oil or gas). This costs Jordan 20% of its gross domestic product. Only 2% of the consumed energy is renewable…

"Jordan benefits from bright sunshine most days of the year. Most of the South of Jordan lies within the Solar belt of the world…[T]wo third of its land is desert. Wind blows regularly on high plateaus…The sudden increase in oil prices triggered…research on wind and solar powers…[resulting in the ambitous objectives of the] energy Strategy and work plan for 2007-2020…heating half of the required hot water on solar energy by the year 2020; increasing energy efficiency and savings by 20% by the year 2020, while 7% of the energy mix should originate from renewable sources by 2015, and should raise to 10% by 2020…"

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"…In November 2007, the [European Union] and Jordan signed a cooperation Declaration in Energy…[and there were other agreements that] had a clear priority on green sources of energy, and energy efficiency & conservation themes…[but the] director of the Centre admits that [the 100 solar and wind projects so far developed] are small projects that benefitted mainly administrative or official buildings and NGOs…As a matter of fact, the development of solar energy in Jordan is still slow; however, it has progressed after gasoline prices soared to unprecedented levels…The EU intends to have further support to Jordan in…[the building of] capacity in Wind Energy and Concentrated Solar power…

"Jordanian Director of Friends of the Earth, Munketh Mehyar points out that Jordan could impose, as Israel and Palestine did, the installation of solar water-heating systems in new buildings. Yet, Mehyar believes that Jordan has already crossed the threshold in January 2010. The country adopted the law on renewable energies. The production and selling of electricity is open and legal today, and even subject to 20 years of tax exemption…"