In order to reach their goal of generating 10% of the country’s electricity from renewable sources by 2020, the government of Jordan has awarded a contract to a emerging solar energy company based in Portugal.
Ma’an, Jordan will soon be home to a 10 Megawatt solar PV plant thanks to Martifer Solar, a subsidiary of Martifer SGPS, and the Dubai based investment and development company, Adenium Energy Capital. The companies recently executed the 20 year Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)Â with Jordan’s national untility- National Electric Power Company (NEPCO). The tariff rate for the solar energy will be $0.169 (USD ) which will save the country considerable costs compared to their oil generation rates. The total cost of the project is projected to be about $26 million dollars.
It is not surprising that Martifer Solar has been selected as the lead developer for the project because they have installed more than 500 MW of photovoltaic energy all over the world. With a worldwide presence in more than 20 countries on 4 continents, the company is one of the top 20 PV integrators in the world. The company is not just a typical solar installation company.
They will provide engineering, procurement and construction services as well as operations and maintenance after the project is completed.
“The successful award of this PPA for a new 10 MW plant in Jordan confirms our abilities as a fully-integrated player capable of adapting our 360° business model to new and emerging markets. The fact that the Jordan government has approved Martifer Solar as the lead Developer for this project is the best testimonial to our proven strength and track record in project development from other successful markets, such as the United Kingdom,†stated Henrique Rodrigues, CEO of Martifer Solar. “We look forward to additional achievements throughout 2014 as we continue to stay one step ahead as a leader in the global PV market.â€
Martifer Solar business development connects the solar industry with global investment players that bring about successful projects. Infusion of capital into a project is critical so that customers can get the best return on their investment. Martifer is establishing themselves as the solar company that walks with their customer through every step of the process delivering reliability, expertise, and cutting edge technology.
At the completion of the project, the plant is expected to produce an estimated 25 GWh/year which will power more than 27,000 inhabitants of Jordan per year.
I am very surprised that desert nations in the middle east have not turned to solar energy sooner. These are parts of the world where solar energy is the most profitable due to very predicatable weather that favors photovoltaics even in the winter time
Azu,
I think because these nations do so well with oil, there has been no incentive for them to pursue alternative energy. We’ll see what happens as these middle eastern countries catch on and start to become big producers in the alternative energy arena!
Thanks for your comment!
In the last Half Century fewer than five properties on NEPCO Lake have changed hands. Most of the homeowners on NEPCO Lake are descendants of the founders of the Nekoosa Edwards Paper Company.
Very happy to learn that Jordan takes strong initiatives to integrate solar energy. Hopefully many more projects will come!