Norway based developer, Scatec Solar, is to build a 10MW PV power plant in Jordan.
The company has signed a 20-year power purchase agreement with Jordanian power company, Nepco, for a project near the city of Ma’an in the south of the kingdom.
The project marks Scatec Solar’s first venture in the region. The company is already active in parts southern and eastern Africa.
It will build the plant with local company KAN Renewables. Scatec Solar said power from the plant would be sold to Nepco at a price lower than that of electricity generated from Jordan’s oil generation capacity.
The plant is due for completion next year.
“We are very happy to be able to realise our first utility-scale PV project in Jordan,” said chief executive Raymond Carlsen.
“At the end of last year, we grid connected the first utility-scale solar park in Southern Africa and the 75MW Kalkbult solar park is currently the largest in Africa. Our objective has been to bring the experience gained in South Africa to other regions in the world with favourable solar conditions.
“As Jordan has superb conditions for solar energy and strong ambitions to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels, we see this as an excellent fit.”
Ma’an will also host what is currently the largest PV project in Jordan’s pipeline, a 52MW plant announced last week by US firm First Solar.
The country has seen a flurry of PV project announcements in recent weeks, after the government announced it had agreed PPAs for 200MW of capacity.