Trina Solar to invest in solar power project in Jordan

Trina Solar Ltd, the world's fourth largest solar panel maker, is poised to invest up to US$200 million in a major solar power project in Jordan. This would be one of the first commercial solar projects in the country and it has been driven by Jordan's drafting of a law in 2009 which cleared the way for investment in renewable energy projects. This is an important commercial investment for a major Chinese corporation and further strengthens relations between Jordan and China. Elyas Al Btoush, a Jordanian, works hard for his money and is careful about how much he spends. So when he received an electricity bill totalling nearly US$2,500 for the last few months, he was shocked but not surprised. He said: "Ten years ago, the electricity bill wasn't more than US$20 a month. But in the last two years, it kept going up until it reached nearly US$200 a month." Mr Elyas' electricity bill is almost a third of his monthly income. It is not a new problem. Without resources of its own, Jordan has long been forced to import nearly all of its oil, gas and other sources of energy, especially after the prolonged shutdown of a pipeline that carries cheap Egyptian gas to Jordan. But despite the problems, the Jordanian government has imposed restrictions on renewable energy alternatives - a move that experts feel is illogical. Alaa Batayneh, Jordan's Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, said: "Renewable energy in general is a major part of our energy mix in our strategy for the ministry, and the plan is to have about 10 per cent renewable energy in the energy mix of Jordan by 2020." Things seem to be changing, especially after streets protests in Amman and other cities by people angered over rising prices. One of the first countries to come forward and offer a solution was China. It is investing up to US$200 million in a solar power project in Jordan. This will be one of the first commercial solar projects in the country, an important commercial investment for a major Chinese corporation. Trina Solar Ltd was recently named one of China's fastest growing companies making a global impact. Mr Alaa said: "Now we also have two big tenders coming up, one for solar, at least 100 megawatts, and one for wind, at least 100 to 150 megawatts. So there is a big window of opportunity for the Chinese experience and know-how to do these kind of projects in Jordan, especially with their widespread experience all over the Middle East." It is all systems go for the first phase of the project, and with it the promise of secure energy independence for a country that so desperately needs it. Dr Awni Shdeefat, deputy director at the Jordan Investment Board, said: "We were not able to diversify our sources of energy, the energy mix. So this is one reason that pushed us to meet some energy companies in China like Trina Solar...to have a clean source of energy, diversify our energy mix, and cut the cost of the efficiency of the energy sector." Until now, Jordan has been relatively lucky - the large-scale political protests and violent demonstrations of the Arab Spring that shook its neighbours Egypt and Syria largely bypassed it. But economic frustration in the kingdom is on the rise and could ultimately pose an even greater challenge than political dissatisfaction.