Independent solar power plant ‘step forward’ for alternative energy — Lafarge

AMMAN — Construction of a 15-megawatt solar power plant to power Lafarge’s Rashadiya cement plant will begin early next year, Lafarge said on Wednesday. 

The plant, which is being built by Adenium Energy Capital, is expected to be operational by the third quarter of 2017, Lafarge said in a statement. The agreement between Adenium and Lafarge, which was signed last week, is a step forward for reliance on alternative energy and reduction in carbon emissions, according to Lafarge. 

This project is also in line with the national Jordanian strategy for renewable energy launched by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources last year, the company noted.  

“This is an important milestone for the domestic industrial sector in general and the cement industry in particular as this agreement emphasises the positive role that industries can play in using alternative and renewable energy resources,” said Lafarge CEO Amr Reda. 

Reda stressed that the shift to alternative energy is a strategic move for the country, in light of the high energy costs, adding that the new plant would enhance the national economy on a macroeconomic level. 

Adenium CEO Wassef Sawaf said the project is “the first of its kind in the region”. 

“It is a build-own-operate project with a private off-taker that will be financed on a non-recourse basis. The photovoltaic plant will provide substantial savings to Lafarge’s electricity bills and is a great example of how renewable energy [independent power producers] can add real bottom-line value to the private sector,” Sawaf said.