ACWA Power donates 2.6MW solar power plant to King’s Academy

AMMAN — King’s Academy has signed a memorandum of understanding with ACWA Power to design, develop and construct a solar photovoltaic facility on the school’s campus.

The full cost of the 2.6MW plant has been donated by ACWA Power to King’s Academy, amounting to $4 million. The plant will offset the equivalent of 2,300 metric tonnes of CO2 and power the equivalent of 350 households, according to a statement by the academy on Saturday.

The memorandum was signed by King’s Academy Chairman Bassem Khalil Al Salem and ACWA Power Chairman Mohammad Abunayyan, in the presence of Headmaster John Austin.

According to the agreement, the plant will be operational by the spring of 2018. 

“The school’s operational costs will be significantly reduced by shifting to clean and sustainable energy upon completion of this project, which will positively impact the school budget in the coming years,” Salem was quoted in the statement as saying.

Salem explained that around 42 per cent of the academy’s students receive some form of financial assistance. 

“As a non-profit, without this kind of support King’s Academy would not be able to continue providing a first-rate education to young people who do not have the financial means to pay for it,” Salem said.

“ACWA Power is proud to contribute to the enhancement and sustainability of King’s Academy as we believe in the importance of the school’s message and vision,” Abunayyan said. 

“King’s Academy is not only a school for Jordan; when His Majesty King Abdullah founded this school it was a gift to the Arab world. Today, we see students here from across the region and the world, and this is testimony of the academy’s earnest efforts towards delivering a high-quality education empowering future generations with the right skills and exposure,” Abunayyan added.

The solar power plant will provide the academy with a safe, reliable and economical energy supply that will contribute to the school’s goal of sourcing its electricity needs through renewable and sustainable means, the statement said.

ACWA Power is a developer, investor, co-owner and operator of a portfolio of power generation and desalinated water production plants with a presence in 11 countries in the Middle East, North Africa, South Africa and South East Asia, according to the company’s website.

The King’s Academy solar power plant is one of ACWA Power’s latest corporate sustainability and responsibility initiatives in Jordan. The company is the largest independent power producer in Jordan with capacity of 1,665MW, according to the statement.