On Sunday, 14/05/2017, His Majesty King Abdullah II inaugurated the initial phase of solar energy projects using photovoltaic technology with an investment volume exceeding Four Hundred Million Jordanian Dinars.
The initial phase of solar energy projects included the first solar collector, which extends on a five square kilometers plot in Ma’an Development Area and incorporates 10 projects with a generation capacity of 170MW, the largest of which is Shams Ma'an Power Plant with a capacity of 52.5 MW.
The first solar collector will be launched at an estimated investment of JD350 million, which is considered the largest commercially at the regional level.
At the inauguration ceremony, which was attended by the Prime Minister and Minister of State Dr. Hani Al-Mulqi, the King listened to a brief by the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Eng. Khalid Jolo, on the Renewable Energy Sector, and the importance of the Shams Ma’an project in the field of renewable energy in the Kingdom, and the great role played by the Company under its social responsibility in serving all components of the community in Ma’an.
During the inauguration ceremony, His Majesty said that he was looking forward to visiting Ma’an Governorate soon to open new development projects that generate jobs for youth and positively reflect on the living standards of its people.
Khalid Jolo, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company, said that the attractive investment environment and advanced infrastructure have opened the way for the implementation of the first and largest solar power project with a capacity of 52.5 MW, which is an evidence of Jordan's leadership in the field of solar energy applications, and he stressed on the importance of these projects to decrease the cost for the national economy, and at the same time, to preserve the environment by reduction of the emissions of Carbon Dioxide (CO2). The Chairman of the Board, who is the Chief Executive Officer of Nebras Energy in Qatar (one of the main partners in the Company) affirmed that the Company, which has implemented three renewable energy projects, will expand its capacity in the Jordanian market through the implementation of a fourth project, due to the advanced investment environment and facilities provided by the Jordanian government in this field.
The King also visited the Mobile Unit of the Institute of Excellence for Renewable Energy and listened to a brief from the Director of the Institute, Dr. Yassin Al-Husban about the training programs provided by the Institute, which aims to prepare and train the youth to qualify for jobs in the field of renewable energy. It is worth mentioning that Shams Ma’an Company signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Vocational Training Corporation on 09/12/2015 at the Center of Renewable Energy in Ma'an under the direct supervision of Dr. Yassin Al-Husban to train 450 trainees from the local community.
The ceremony of inauguration of the project was attended by the President of the Royal Court, the Director of His Majesty's Office, the Secretary General of the Royal Court and senior officials.
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