Spanish energy company Elecnor and the Jordanian government will sign an agreement in April to build a US$150mn 75MW wind power plant in Maan
Elecnor was chosen from among six bidding companies. The plant will be funded by a grant from the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states and will be connected to the national power grid by Q1 2015, stated Mohammad Hamed, energy minister of Jordan.
Apart from the wind power plant, 12 local and international companies have been shortlisted to construct a 75MW solar-run power station, worth US$150mn, said Hamed. The Ministry of Energy said it will announce the winning bidder of the project within two months and implementation will begin thereafter.
This project will also be funded by a grant given by GCC states, which pledged a sum of US$5bn to Jordan over a period of five years, according to reports.
Jordan exports 96 per cent of its energy needs. The country's Department of Statistics stated that Jordan's energy bill amounted to US$575mn in 2013 compared to US$653mn in 2012.
The Ministry of Energy's national strategy envisions electricity generation from renewable sources to account for 10 per cent of the energy mix by 2020.
