Masdar, a clean energy company in Abu Dhabi, signed a preliminary agreement with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of Jordan to develop renewable energy projects in Jordan and strengthen its commitment to sustainability and decarbonization. Masdar said that according to the agreement signed at the COP27 Climate Summit held in Egypt, the two entities will explore investment in Jordan's renewable energy projects with a capacity of up to 2 GW.

Cooperation will also include the exchange of expertise and knowledge in renewable energy and infrastructure development, including electricity conversion, distribution and export. These projects will support Jordan's renewable energy goals and help ensure the country's energy security, said Dr. Sultan Al Jaber, Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology of the United Arab Emirates, Special Envoy for Climate Change and President of Masdar.

When we look forward to holding COP28 in the United Arab Emirates in 2023, Masdar is committed to supporting the energy transformation of the Middle East neighbors, said Dr. Al Jaber. Masdar has more than 20 billion dollars of investment in the world, and is rapidly expanding its renewable energy portfolio as countries focus on reducing emissions to limit global warming.

In 2022, the company signed a series of new agreements to explore and develop renewable energy and green hydrogen energy projects. Previously, it increased its global clean energy portfolio capacity by 40% in 2021. Masdar aims to achieve 100 GW of renewable energy capacity in the next 10 years. In Jordan, the company has built two major renewable energy plants.

In 2015, Masdar delivered Tafila wind farm in Jordan, the first commercial utility scale wind power project in the Middle East. The 117 megawatt wind farm increased the country's total electricity generation by 3 per cent. Masdar is also the developer and main partner of the 200 MW Baynouna project located east of Amman, which is the largest single solar project in Jordan. It generates 563 GWh of electricity every year, equivalent to 4% of Jordan's annual energy consumption.

Since 2020, the project has met the annual power demand of about 160000 households, replacing 360000 tons of carbon dioxide annually. Saleh Al Kharabsheh, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources of Jordan, said that Masdar may significantly increase its renewable energy footprint in Jordan through the latest agreement. Currently, about 29% of Jordan's electricity comes from renewable energy, and it is planned to increase this share to 50% by 2030. Keywords: overseas news, engineering news

In addition to its central location in the Middle East and Africa, the country also hopes to become a regional center for green energy production, benefiting from abundant renewable energy, said Mr. Al Kharabsheh.Editor/Xing Wentao