Jordan has ambitious vision for renewable energy — UfM

AMMAN — Jordan has taken a lot of action towards developing renewable energy and energy efficient technologies and services, according to Union for the Mediterranean (UfM) Deputy Secretary General for Energy and Climate Action Jorge Borrego.

"Jordan has a good perception of the need to develop green energy," Borrego said in a recent interview with The Jordan Times.

Pointing out that the Kingdom is among the five top countries to receive the UfM's support, Borrego said that Jordan has "good ambitions and vision on renewable energy and a supportive action plan".

"Jordan is deeply involved in the union's mandate not only on the political level but in regional policies as well," he added.

Borrego mentioned the Tafileh Wind Farm as a Jordanian success story. Hailing its sustainability, Borrego said that the project is not only of "high importance" when it comes to energy security and clean environment but also in the "immense support" it provides to the local population in terms of job opportunities, education, knowledge and health.

Again re-emphasising that Jordan is a "strong partner" of the UfM on a climate dimension, Borrego expressed hopes that similar renewable projects will be implemented in Jordan.

The Tafileh Wind Farm, which is the first utility-scale renewable project in Jordan, has been recognised as a best practice during the UfM's second edition of the Energy and Climate Business Forum held in Lisbon in July.

According to the UfM, the Tafileh Wind Farm was responsible for almost 25 per cent of the energy produced from renewable sources in Jordan in 2018 and currently powers 83,000 homes with 80 per cent of its employees from the local area.

The intergovernmental union recognised the Tafileh Wind Farm project in 2014 as a leading project that could serve as an example for other promoters and institutions in the region, especially because of the cooperation between the public and private sectors.

Asked if the union has future plans for electric interconnectivity between the northern and southern Mediterranean countries, Borrego explained that it still has “a long way” to go.

Any potential energy interconnectivity between the two sides of Mediterranean requires first the establishment of a "complete electricity integration market between neighbouring Mediterranean countries", he said, adding that nevertheless “we are safely and soundly moving towards that objective”.

Borrego acknowledged that there is a "huge" trade deficit between northern and southern Mediterranean countries that needs to be bridged, explaining that it is 90 per cent from the north to the south, 9 per cent from the south to the north and 1 per cent from south to south.