Renewable energy company Masdar has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Jordan’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources to collaborate on the development of up to 2GW of renewable energy projects.
The agreement was signed at COP27 and marks a decade of collaboration between Masdar and Jordan.
Under the agreement, the partners will explore the development of 2GW of renewable energy projects in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan and will work to exchange expertise and knowledge in the areas of infrastructure development, including electricity transformation, distribution and exportation.
HE Dr Sultan Al Jaber, UAE minister of industry and advanced technology, special envoy for climate change, and chairman of Masdar, said, “The projects being explored through this memorandum would support Jordan’s ambitious renewable energy goals and help to ensure energy security for the nation. As we look toward hosting COP28 in the UAE next year, Masdar is dedicated to supporting our neighboring countries in the Middle East in their energy transitions.”
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The collaboration will see Masdar increase its renewable energy footprint from the two renewable energy plants currently in operation.
In 2015, Masdar delivered the Tafila Wind Farm in Jordan, touted as the first commercial utility-scale wind power project in the Middle East. The 117MW wind farm increased the country’s total power capacity by 3%.
Masdar also developed the 200MW Baynouna solar project, located east of Amman, Jordan. Since 2020, the project has been meeting the annual power needs of approximately 160,000 homes, generating 563GWh of electricity each year.
HE Dr Saleh Al-Kharabsheh, Jordanian minister of energy and mineral resource said in a statement, “Jordan is already a pioneer in renewable energy development in the region, where it currently produces around 29 percent of its electricity from renewable sources, and aims to increase this share to 50 percent by 2030. The country is also looking to become a regional hub for green energy production benefiting from the abundance of renewable energy energies, in addition to its central location in the Middle East and Africa.”
Masdar also signed an agreement with Infinity Power and Hassan Allam Utilities at COP2 to develop a 10GW onshore wind project in Egypt. When completed, the 10GW wind farm will produce 47,790GWh of clean energy annually and offset 23.8 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions.
