Jordan: big boost for solar energy production

A new 50 megawatt solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant will be constructed in the city of Mafraq, northern Jordan. The Mafraq plant is the first PV solar plant to be financed out of the four planned under the Jordanian government’s second round of solar PV projects. The new plant will supply power at 6.9 cents per kilowatt-hour — a price far below Jordan’s average cost of electricity and among the lowest for solar energy worldwide.

The Mafraq plant, which is due to start operating in 2018, represents approximately 1% of Jordan’s overall generation capacity. It is expected to supply about 155 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year, sufficient to power over 40,000 average homes. It is also expected to create about 250 jobs during the construction phase and help reduce the carbon footprint by displacing over 80,000 metric tons of CO2 per year, equivalent to removing approximately 17,000 cars from the country’s roads.

The financing package to build the Mafraq plant, amounts to $76 million. Fotowatio Renewable Ventures (FRV), a global solar development company with a 4.3 GW development portfolio, has been entrusted to build the power plant. The financing package was arranged with support from the International Finance Corporation (IFC) in its latest effort to boost renewable energy investments in Jordan. Mouayed Makhlouf, IFC director for the Middle East and North Africa said in a statement, that “ demand for power is growing rapidly in Jordan ” and that “privately owned power companies, with their expertise and financial clout, have a vital role to play in bringing new generation capacity online at a lower cost which in turn will help the government to provide Jordan’s economy with the energy it needs to grow.”