What are Jordan’s Efforts in the Green Hydrogen Industry?
Al-Kharabsheh: Jordan is moving towards a green hydrogen economy with steady steps. Dr. Saleh Al-Kharabsheh, recently confirmed that Jordan is moving towards a green hydrogen economy with steady steps.
Al-Kharabsheh added during the opening of a workshop entitled “Study of legislation regulating green hydrogen in Jordan” in the presence of the Secretary-General of the Ministry, Eng. Amani Al-Azzam, that the Ministry signed twelve memorandums of understanding and one framework agreement with international and local investors interested in conducting the necessary studies to develop green hydrogen projects in Jordan.
Al-Kharabsheh appreciated the importance of the workshop in exchanging ideas with investors, donors, financing bodies and all participants, in an effort to come up with the most appropriate and comprehensive model that encourages investment in the field of developing green hydrogen projects in Jordan.
Al-Kharabsheh thanked the World Bank for organising the workshop, which is part of the existing cooperation program to study options for legal and regulatory frameworks for green hydrogen for the purposes of production, domestic use and exports in Jordan, pointing to the role of the Multi-Donor Trust Fund (MDTF), which is supervised by the World Bank and funded by the governments of the “United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Canada, Germany and Norway” in its support of economic reform efforts in Jordan in partnership with the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation.
The workshop participants discussed the outcomes of options for developing green hydrogen and ammonia projects in Jordan, with potential financing structures, risk allocation between private developers and the government, and a review of current contractual arrangements for deploying energy and infrastructure investments in Jordan.
The workshop, which was attended by 58 participants from relevant public sector institutions and representatives of green hydrogen investors, was held with funding from the Multi-Donor Trust Fund for Inclusive Growth and Economic Opportunity in Jordan and with the support of the Economic Reforms Implementation Support Unit in the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation (MOPIC). The World Bank Group manages the Fund along with the Ministry of Planning and International Cooperation, and is funded by the governments of “United Kingdom, The Netherlands, Canada, Germany and Norway” to support economic reform efforts in Jordan.
Energy and its partners are studying the most suitable infrastructure options for green hydrogen in Jordan
The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, H.E Dr. Saleh Al-Kharabsheh, emphasised, the Ministry’s efforts, in cooperation with partners, to prepare the most appropriate infrastructure for green hydrogen investment projects in Jordan.
In his speech during the first roundtable meeting for investors in green hydrogen, in the presence of the National Committee for Green Hydrogen and representatives of local and international companies that signed memorandums of understanding in hydrogen with the Ministry, Al-Kharabsheh pointed out the importance of the partnership aimed at implementing projects specialized in producing green hydrogen locally.
Al-Kharabsheh highlighted the advantages that Jordan possess, which made it ranked first in the region in terms of the installed capacity of renewable energy sources, which amounted to 27% of the electrical energy generated in the Kingdom until the end of the year 2022, according to the Arab Future Energy Index (AFEX) report for the year 2022 prepared by the Regional Center. Renewable energy and energy efficiency.
The Minister praised the movement led by the Ministry for implementing many activities aimed at Jordan’s export of green energy, as an embodiment of the royal visions and in line with the vision of economic modernisation to make Jordan a regional center for the production and export of hydrogen.
European Bank gets special recognition
Al-Kharabsheh explained that Jordan is currently moving towards a green hydrogen economy with steady steps by developing the national strategy and hydrogen road map, and continuing to define the regulatory and legislative framework required for investment in this field, noting the importance of the results and outputs of studies of local market options for green hydrogen and the export market.
Al-Kharabsheh thanked the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for the role it played in cooperation with the Ministry in organising the first workshop of its kind, hoping that the attendees would be able to agree on recommendations that would enable everyone to implement the most appropriate model for green hydrogen investment projects locally.
For her part, the Regional Director for the Eastern Mediterranean Region at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Gretchen Berry, relied on Jordan’s capabilities in signing several memorandums of understanding to develop hydrogen projects, pointing to Jordan’s good location to play a major role in the hydrogen market and to become a regional center for the production of green hydrogen and its derivatives, as well as It has several advantages, such as the spread of renewable energy, geographical location, and the country’s richness in mineral resources.
Promoting an environment of open communication is essential
Perry stressed the goal of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and its role in many countries, including Jordan, in promoting an environment of open communication and forming diverse viewpoints to confront challenges and seize opportunities to develop the green hydrogen industry in the Kingdom, and achieve the Jordanian government’s plans to remove carbon and increase the contribution of renewable energy sources in the energy mix to 50% and a 31% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
The first roundtable meeting for green hydrogen investors discusses the potential for production and investment in hydrogen, the common hydrogen infrastructure, and the benefits and challenges of infrastructure options, with the aim of reaching the best business model that will enhance investment in hydrogen at competitive prices in Jordan.
Byline: Raneem Alfahham
