Shams Ma’an solar plant contributes 1% of Jordan’s total electricity production — station engineer

AMMAN — Shams Ma'an Power Generation PSC, one of the largest solar power plants in the region, provides 1 per cent of the Kingdom's electricity production, according to its station engineer Abdul Rahman Awajan.

Awajan remarks came during a media tour organised by the Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission (EMRC) which kicked off on Wednesday.

Awajan said that the Shams Ma’an solar plant was classified as the largest power generation project worldwide until 2019.

The project provides 70 job opportunities for the local community and the area’s residents, he said.

Maan, some 220 kilometres south of Amman, is the third city in the world in terms of solar radiation, he added, noting that the project reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 160,000-180,000 tonnes.

“The Shams Ma'an project is one of the first power generation projects to launch in Jordan in 2016, with a generating capacity of 52.5 megawatts,” Awajan added.

The project contains 640,000 solar panels (thin film module), from the American Company First Solar, he continued.

Awajan emphasised that Jordan's location makes it suitable for solar energy production, as it has enormous solar radiation.

The Shams Ma’an project includes power stations which produce electricity for NEPCO. Each station contains weather monitors and data, parameters and more, which was presented during the tour.