Jordan Wind Project Company announced late November that they had signed a financing agreement to begin constructing a utility-scale wind power project in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The 117 MW Tafila Wind Farm will not only increase the country’s total power capacity by 3%, but it also represents the very first utility-scale wind power project in the Middle East.
The Jordan Wind Project Company is a co-development between Inframed, Masdar, and EP Global Energy, and will see the Tafila Wind Farm developed under the Jordanian Renewable and Energy Efficiency Law which was passed in 2010, which calls for the country to obtain 7% of its electricity from renewable energy sources by 2015, to be raised to 10% by 2020.
Subsequently, when the Tafila Wind Farm is completed in 2015, it will account for approximately 10% of the 2020 renewable energy target.
“JWPC’s 117MW Tafila Wind Farm is the first utility-scale renewable-energy project in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and the region and is a major step toward getting Jordan on the renewable energy map of the world,” said Samer Judeh, chairman of JWPC. “His Majesty King Abdullah’s Vision and the Jordanian Government’s strategy,aims to encourage investors and financiers to make these vital projects possible.”
The Tafila Wind Farm will generate approximately 400 GWh of renewable electricity each year, displacing an estimated 235,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. In the face of rapid development, Jordan has been investigating numerous alternative energy sources to meet growing demand.
“Jordan is one of the Middle East’s most promising clean energy markets and this project is another milestone in the region’s energy evolution,”said H.E Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, CEO of Masdar, Abu Dhabi’s renewable energy company.”Jordan is a prime example of where the cost of renewable energy is lower than conventional sources of power generation. This project is a natural step toward Jordan’s energy and economic security.”
“Today, countries in the region are increasingly integrating wind and solar poweras commercially viable solutions to address long-term energy security. Just like the rest of the world, the Middle East is faced with meeting rising energy demand, while also reducing its carbon footprint.”
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