Masdar Inaugurates 200MW Baynouna Solar Park, the Largest of Its Kind in Jordan

Baynouna Solar Park generates over 560 gigawatt hours (GWh) annually, enough energy to power 160,000 homes

Jordan will be able to meet its goal of meeting 50% of renewable electricity by 2030 through a project.

Masdar Chairman Dr. Sultan Al Jaber and COP28 President-Designate hails the role project plays in keeping the 1.5 degree warming target in sight, and in creating jobs and economic opportunities in Kingdom

The UAE COP28 will be focused on moving from goals towards implementation with a clear focus upon demonstrable action and mitigation, adaptation, loss, damage and finance

ABU DHABI (UAE), February 25, 2023 /CNW/ -- A joint venture between Masdar, the UAE's leading renewable energy company, and Taaleri, a Finnish investment and asset management group, Baynouna Solar Energy Company, (BSCE) has announced the formal inauguration Baynouna Solar Park, which is the largest clean energy project of its kind in Jordan.

His Excellency Bisher Al Khasawneh, Prime Minster of Jordan, was present at the inauguration. He was joined by HE Sultan Ahmed Al Jaber (UAE Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology), Chairman of Masdar, and HE Saleh Al Kharabsheh (Jordan's Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources); and HE Sheikh Khalifa bin Mohammed Bin Khalid Al Nahyan who is the UAE Ambassador to Jordan. Other high-ranking officials from the government and Masdar executives attended the ceremony.

HE Al Jaber stated that the Baynouna Solar Park, in partnership with the Jordanian Government, will help Jordan meet its climate goals, provide clean energy access, create jobs, and promote economic growth. Masdar, along with the Tafila Wind Farm, is helping Jordan produce 29 percent of its electricity using renewable sources. It will also support the country's goal to increase that figure to 50 percent by the end the decade. These transformative partnerships are ambitious and transformative. They are what we need to fulfill the Paris Agreement promise and ensure we keep emissions at bay, not increase them. COP28 will be focused on moving from goals towards implementation. There will be a clear focus upon demonstrating action on mitigation, adaptation and loss, and finance. We want to achieve the goal of limiting global warming below 1.5 degrees.

He Dr Saleh Al Kharabsheh is the Jordanian Minister for Energy and Mineral Resources. He stated, "Under His Majesty King Abdullah to make Jordan a regional centre for green."

The Ministry of Development is focused on local energy sources in order to increase energy security, self-reliance, and reduce the impacts of climate change. We can see that renewable energy, particularly solar and wind, is the most rapidly growing and widely used renewable energy source today. It is time to maximize its benefits.

The Baynouna Solar Park was created through a power purchase arrangement between Masdar and National Electric Power Company. This power provider is Jordan's state electricity provider. It produces more than 560 gigawatt hours (GWh) annually, enough to power over 160,000 homes. The plant also produces 360,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide annually, which is equivalent to taking almost 80,000 cars off the road.

Heikh Khalifa bin Mohammed Bin Khalid Al Nahyan was the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Representative of the UAE to Jordan. She said that this inauguration marked a significant moment in the history between the two countries and would serve to strengthen our already strong relationship. We are committed to supporting our brothers nations in the region to achieve their clean energy goals. We stand ready to share with the Government of Jordan our expertise and help bring about sustainable economic development.

Masdar's Chief Executive Officer Mohamed Jamel Al Ramahi said that he was proud to be there for the official inauguration of the project. This is the result of Masdar’s long-standing partnership with Jordan. We thank our partners in Government and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources as well as the National Electric Power Company of Jordan and the financial institutions who made this project possible. We are ready to help Jordan with its energy transition. We will also look to expand our presence in the Kingdom by developing clean energy projects that will fuel economic growth.

The International Finance Corporation (IFC), OPEC Fund for International Development(OFID), KfW Group's DEG and Japan International Cooperation Agency were some of the financial institutions that supported Baynouna.

Peter Ramsay, chief executive officer of Taaleri Group said that "We are excited to inaugurate the largest solar park on Jordan." This remarkable project is testament to the strength and cooperation between Masdar, Taaleri, who are two pioneers in renewable energy. Together with our investors and partners, we are proud to work towards our common global climate change mitigation goals.

Masdar also manages the Tafila Wind Farm (117 MW), which was built in 2015. It is the first commercial utility-scale, commercial-scale wind farm in the Middle East. Masdar and the Jordanian Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources signed a memorandum of agreement in November 2022 to explore the possibility of developing 2 gigawatts (GW), more renewable energy projects within the country.

As the UAE prepares for the 28th Conference of the Parties (COP28), the energy transition will be a key component of its priorities. Expo City, Dubai will host the Conference, which is the largest annual gathering for policymakers and practitioners focusing on climate change.

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Masdar

Abu Dhabi Future Energy Company, also known as Masdar, is the UAE's champion for clean energy. It is one of the most important companies of its type in the world and focuses on the development and deployment green hydrogen and renewable energy technologies to address global sustainability issues. Masdar was established in 2006. It is active in more than 40 countries and helps them achieve their clean energy goals. Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Mubadala Investment Company Mubadala and Abu Dhabi National Energy Company own Masdar. The company aims to have a renewable energy portfolio capacity that is at least 100 gigawatts by 2030 and a green hydrogen production capacity of as high as 1 million tonnes annually by 2030.

DJE Edelman Inc distributes this material on behalf Masdar. Additional information can be found at the Department of Justice in Washington DC.

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