This week ground-breaking ceremony officially kicked off construction of the 117 MW wind power plant, which will produce electricity at half the cost of Jordanian conventional power.
H.E. the Prime Minister of Jordan, Abdallah Ensour, Jordan Wind Project Company (JWPC) Chairman, Samer Judeh, and representatives from the sponsor and lender group took part in the ceremony yesterday evening which showcased the landmark Tafilah project to Jordan and its people. Tafilah is the combined result of a four-year cooperation by a team of Jordanian and international experts. Civil works have already begun, and the 38 wind turbines will be directly transported from the port of Aqaba to the project site over the coming months. The first turbines will begin to produce electricity as from the first quarter of 2015, and the wind power plant will be fully operational by August 2015.
The wind power plant will then be connected directly to the National Electric Power Company grid and provide almost 400 GWh of electricity per year, enough to meet the energy needs of over 150,000 Jordanians. The Al Tafilah project will also significantly contribute to the region’s development by providing jobs to 150 people during construction and 30 during its operation.
“Vestas is proud to be part of this milestone project in Jordan, 18 years after pioneering the local industry and installing the country’s first wind turbines,” observed Marco Graziano, President of Vestas Mediterranean. “The Tafilah wind power plant is a major step forward in clean energy development, energy self-sufficiency and security of supply for the country.”
Samer Judeh, Chairman of Jordan Wind Project Company (JWPC) affirmed the significant positive effect the project will have on the Jordanian energy mix: “At 85 Jordanian Dinars per MWh, electricity is priced at less than half the cost of generation from conventional power. The price is fixed for 20 years, ensuring reliable and clean energy for the country. The Tafilah wind farm is a major step towards getting Jordan on the global renewable energy roadmap and will serve to demonstrate the region’s potential for investments in renewable energy.”