ABB, a global leader in power and automation technologies, has secured a contract from Martifer Solar to help build 50 MW of solar power capacity in Jordan.

The deal covers four solar plants, located near the cities of Ma’an and Mafraq. Jordan imports 96 per cent of all its energy at an annual cost of $3.6 billion or 13.5 per cent of the country’s GDP (gross domestic product).

The master strategy of the energy sector in Jordan has set a target of 1,800 MW, or 10 per cent of the country’s energy supply to come from renewable sources in 2020. This strategy calls for 600 MW of this new capacity to be provided by solar power.

Jordan’s annual daily average solar irradiance is among the world’s highest, and the country’s national energy strategy includes ambitious targets to increase the contribution of renewable energy sources such as solar to the national energy supply.

ABB has helped co-design the plants using the company’s equipment as required by the grid operator (Nepco) with complete solution. The project is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2016.

Under the agreement, ABB will be responsible for the manufacture, supply, and commissioning of 45 central inverters (Ultra), 24 36kV compartments on skid (MVCS), plant power controller (PPC), and 36kV delivery stations, which will ensure safe and reliable connection to the national electricity network.

In addition, ABB signed a service agreement to train Martifier Solar’s operations and maintenance (O&M) technicians on specialised O&M of its inverters.

 “ABB is proud to play an important role in helping Jordan reach its ambitious renewable energy targets set for 2020,” said Ahmad Alhussein, local manager, Discrete Automation and Motion. “These innovative and technologically advanced solar projects are a big first step toward boosting Jordan’s energy security and reducing its reliance on imported oil and gas.”

Marco Alves, operations and maintenance business director, Martifer Solar, said: “This service agreement established with ABB, including the training of our O&M technicians in operating and maintaining the ABB inverters, is an important milestone for the company and an important step towards proficiency, in line with our global strategy of providing highly reliable O&M services worldwide.”

One of the four solar plants (Jordan Solar One) with its 20 MW size will be the largest plant connected to Nepco in the Al Mafraq area; the other three solar plants are 10 MW in size and will be located in Al Ward Al Joury, Al Zahrat Al Salam and Al Zanbaq, near the south-central Jordanian city of Ma’an. - TradeArabia News Service