Jordan

The Saudi-owned developer has announced an ambition to have installed 5.8 GW of renewables capacity by 2024 and took a small step in that direction with its 66.7 MW Al Safawi Solar Plant.

The 23 MW/12.6 MWh facility is near Mafraq, in northern Jordan. The storage system will offer peak shaving to increase grid stability while enhancing solar output.

The region’s climate, developing economies and demographic growth are driving increased electricity demand in the Middle East and North Africa. However, as a hub of conventional energy supply, the region has been slow to embrace PV. To capture more of the value chain and deliver the full potential of solar, there are increasing calls for distributed generation deployment to play a bigger role.

Two Emirati developers are celebrating landmark deals with a commercial and industrial focus as Yellow Door Energy secures $65 million to expand operations into new markets and Adenium – one of Yellow Door’s backers – prepares to operate the region’s first industrial self-consumption and net metering project.

Auctions and new licenses will be suspended until the Jordanian government has assessed the capabilities of its power network.

The funds, provided by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, will help utility NEPCO repay short-term debt, as well as financing expansion of the grid’s capability to increase the share of solar and other renewable energy.

Jordan has taken great strides to green its energy mix. In addition to the successful implementation of many large-scale projects, small PV systems – mainly under the net metering scheme – are booming in the country.

In a study on the potential for local manufacturing of renewable energy equipment in the Arab region, IRENA has assessed how three pilot Arab countries – Lebanon, Jordan and the UAE – where development of clean energy is currently strong, may host PV, CSP and wind energy industries. In all of them, however, there are currently few chances of seeing a rising solar and renewable energy manufacturing industry, due to a series of challenges, such as, among others, the lack of a qualified workforce, and favorable regulatory settings.

After the impressive results seen a month ago in Jordan’s Round 3 PV and wind auction, the successful developers have still not been announced, despite the government initially saying it would take two weeks to award the bids.

The kingdom has given the green light to a 50 MW proposal in Ma’an, the fifth project in the second round of its national commissioning process.