Feature: Chinese enterprise helps renewable energy transition in Jordan

Photo taken on Sept. 19, 2022 shows the Shobak wind farm operated by China Three Gorges International Corporation (CTGI) in Jordan. (Xinhua/Ji Ze)

AMMAN, Sept. 29 (Xinhua) -- On the barren desert of southern Jordan, numerous towering wind turbines are working to generate the renewable energy that the country needs to spur its green transition.

One noticeable wind farm there is the Shobak wind farm, which was put into operation in 2021 by China Three Gorges International Corporation (CTGI), providing electricity to the country's network with an installed capacity of 45 megawatts.

CTGI, which acquired the wind farm in August 2021, held a strong belief in the importance of Jordan's new energy market, including wind and solar power projects, Jiang Songwei, project engineer of CTGI Jordan, told Xinhua in an interview at the Shobak wind farm.

Mahmoud Alhamaideh, site manager of the Shobak wind power project told Xinhua, that the Shobak project is not only providing green and clean energy to Jordan, but also helping mitigate CO2 emissions, save water consumption, and provide much-needed jobs for the local communities in the area.

"This project is supposed to save around 75,000 tons of CO2 and around one 30,000 cubic meters of water," he said, adding that the project has already created more than 100 jobs for the local community.

He indicated that the project could power around 30,000 Jordanian households in a year.

In addition to the wind farm in Shobak, the Chinese company also operates another wind farm and a solar power plant in Jordan, said Mohammad Abu Atieh, country manager of CTGI Jordan.

The three projects, with a capacity of 156 megawatts, could provide Jordan with 440 million kWh of clean energy in one year, the manager said.

According to Jordan's Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, renewable energy sources contributed around 29 percent of Jordan's total energy output as of the end of July 2022, and the country aims to increase the proportion to 50 percent in 2030.

Chinese companies including the CTGI are playing a critical role in Jordan's aspirations of a greener future through environment-friendly power projects, Abu Atieh said.

For Jiang, Chinese investments have also brought various benefits to the local market.

"We brought China's advanced management experience to the project here and also absorbed the ideas of local management," he added.

Zhao Chongchong, the project representative of CTGI Jordan, said that Chinese enterprises not only helped to develop the renewable energy industry in Jordan but also engaged in empowering local youth by teaching them technical skills.

"We have signed internship contracts with local universities in Jordan, offering them technical training every year," Zhao said.

Nezar Alkhoshaman, the site engineer for the operation and maintenance of the Shobak wind power project, agreed with him.

"By solving the project's technical issues with my Chinese colleagues, my technical skills have been greatly improved," he said. 

Jiang Songwei (R), project engineer of China Three Gorges International Corporation (CTGI) Jordan, communicates with his colleague Nezar Alkhoshaman, the site engineer for the operation and maintenance of the Shobak wind power project, at the Shobak wind farm in Jordan, Sept. 19, 2022. (Xinhua/Ji Ze)