Aqaba mosques to receive solar panel systems as part of clean energy drive

AMMAN — Solar panel systems will be installed on Aqaba's 35 mosques to save an estimated JD600,000 annually in power bills, according to an Energy Ministry statement.

Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Hala Zawati on Wednesday said that the project will be implemented through the Jordan Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Fund (JREEEF), in cooperation with the ministries of energy and awqaf.

The two ministries will cover 50 per cent of the project's cost, while the other half will be financed through grants and assistance, she said.

The JD675,000 project would cut an estimated 1,647 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually, the minister said, adding that the project falls under the ministry's JD4 million-programme to install such systems at the country’s places of worship including mosques and churches.

The ministry's development project is targeting around 7,000 mosques and churches, where 500 of them have already had solar panels installed, she noted, adding that the ministry, through JREEEF, has invested JD50 million in renewable energy projects over the past four years.

JREEEF contributed to JD19 million to the sum, while the rest came from donors and project owners, according to a ministry statement.

Zawati expressed her appreciation for the contributions from donors, mainly the EU, the Canadian government, the Italian ministry of environment and the French Development Agency.

Rasmi Hamzeh, JREEEF’s director, said that the fund is implementing several programmes to help different sectors adapt renewable energy solutions.