The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is classified as one of the driest countries in the world. Thus, the country carries great burdens when dealing with climate change impacts. In recent years, the green energy sector in Jordan has witnessed great momentum with many solar and wind projects being implemented. This has attracted world-renowned companies to invest in renewable energy projects in Jordan. The developments taking place are aligned with the national energy strategy aimed at raising the contribution of renewables to generate about 20% of the Kingdom’s power needs by the end of 2020, as announced by king Abdullah II of Jordan at the World Economic Forum in April 2019.

Solar power is seen as a sustainable option for Jordan’s long-term energy security, as the country boasts about 330 sunny days per year. One of the solar projects that was implemented in 2018 is the Quweria Solar Photovoltaic Power Plant, named later as the Sheikh Zayed Solar Complex. The power plant is located in the southern part of Jordan, near Al-Aqaba, with a capacity of 103 MW. At the time of construction, the project was about double the size of any existing plant in the country which spans 2sqkm, the size of over 300 football fields.

The Government of Jordan, specifically the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR), along with UAE-based Enviromena Power Systems and Spanish engineering firm TSK Group have partnered up for implementation. The project was a donation, of AED550 million ($150 million), from the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development and channeled through the MEMR. The power plant installed 328,320 photovoltaic panels that are expected to produce 227 GWh of solar power annually over a period of 20 years, enough to illuminate about 50,000 homes.

The plant, which was constructed in 18 months, contributed to the creation of about 1,000 jobs during the construction phase and is set to provide 30 permanent jobs for its operation and maintenance. Furthermore, since Jordan depends heavily on fuel imports to meet its domestic needs, Sheikh Zayed Solar Complex helps significantly reduce its dependency on fuel imports and will also help replace nearly 400,000 barrels of oil per year. The project generates about 16% of all solar energy in the country. Renewable energy currently stands at around 11% of the energy mix, bringing Jordan close to its Vision 2020 target. According to a study conducted by Jordan’s Royal Scientific Society in collaboration with Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, it is estimated that the solar renewable energy production would contribute 10% of the total energy mix by 2020. Quweria solar will help Jordan meet their targets.

Renewable energy is considered a catalyst for economic growth, enabling the provision of clean, reliable, and affordable power that GDP and enhances energy security. Sheikh Zayed Solar Complex is an example of a success story that marks a milestone in adopting renewable energy in Jordan.