The signing of electricity generation license from solar cells

Chief Commissioner of the Energy Regulatory Commission (TRC) and the Minerals Council engineer Farouk Hiyari said that renewable energy has become a strategic choice for the Kingdom, is seen as productive sector and not for  small pets, the national economy flows into and opens the door to more job opportunities.

Hiari added after he signed at the headquarters of the Authority yesterday electricity generation license granted by the solar cell of Al Badia capacity of (10 MW), that is the first license in accordance which the company will sell the electricity to the Al-Bdia Irbid District Electricity Company.

He pointed out that the total possible obstetric granted by the Authority as of (50 MW) by solar cells and (117 MW) by wind power.

He said the authority is working to enhance the contribution of renewable energy in the total energy mix commitment to the national strategy for the energy sector which provided for raising the percentage contribution of renewable energy in the energy mix by (10%) in 2020.

Regarding solar energy in Jordan, Hiyari said  that it is an important source of energy, especially in the eastern and southern regions of the Kingdom, where more than 300 days in the year, which enhances the capabilities of the Kingdom in the production of this important energy source.

The license granted to the company Badia, Hiari stated  that 20 years comes to complement the efforts of the organizing energy and minerals sector Commission in promoting the use of renewable energy sources in the Kingdom of systems based on the provisions of the General Electricity Law No. (64) for the year 2002 and the Law on renewable energy and energy conservation No. (33) for the year 2014.

From his part, Abdul Rahman Shehadeh, CEO of Philadelphia Energy, owner of Al Badia praised the  role in the Commission  to facilitate the task of investors, adding that the project is among the first private sector company that sells electricity to the private sector (electricity company Irbid Governorate).

He stressed on the importance of the project and said it would be a reference for future similar agreements and the first case, a local company designed, manufactured and implemented and funded a project of this kind.

2:56 PM | 0 comments | التعليقات

Jordan's phosphate, potash industries bank on India as key market for exports

AMMAN — Sales of raw phosphate and fertilisers are likely to reach eight million tonnes this year, according to   Jordan Phosphate Mines Company (JPMC) Chairman Amer Majali.

His forecast was accentuated on Sunday by the signing of an agreement to supply additional quantities of phosphate to two Indian manufacturers.

Majali noted that the exports highlight JPMC's strategic plan which aims at entering new markets and regaining those that the company left more than 10 years ago.

JPMC Chief Executive Officer Shafiq Ashqar valued the company's participation in the annual conference of Fertiliser Association of India (FAI) and described  it as an opportunity to know more about India’s policies in the coming years, communicate with prominent makers and importers of fertilisers, and enhance JPMC’s reputation in the Indian market

Nearly 1,300 delegates representing major companies in the industry, marketing and consumption of fertilisers in the Indian peninsula attended the FAI conference.

On the sidelines of the conference, JPMC discussed prices and standards of the company’s products, and its ability to provide India with raw phosphate and fertilisers according to the standards of Indian factories, Ashqar said.

As part of its marketing strategy in 2015, the company signed a contract to export an additional 850,000 tonnes of its products to India, whose annual imports of fertilisers represent 35 per cent of the international market share, Ashqar added.

The chief executive officer expects JPMC's exports to India to reach 3.5 million tonnes, and overall sales to local and international markets to hit eight million tonnes.

"Such a quantity could bring the company’s sales to their previous high levels," he said.

Ashqar described a contract signed to export 250,000 tonnes of phosphate to Serbia, as a validation of the company’s success to get back to Europe through Turkey and Serbia.

This contract would also enable JPMC to retrieve previous markets, especially in eastern Europe, Australia, New Zealand and South Korea, he said.

Ashqar said JPMC’s sales of fertilisers exceeded 600,000 tonnes in 2014, noting that the company is currently rehabilitating fertiliser factories in Aqaba to have them operate at full capacity.

At the same time, JPMC is taking measures to reduce mining costs with a view to enhancing the efficiency of producing raw phosphate and sharpening the competitiveness of the company in the international market.

Separately, the Arab Potash Company (APC) has recently opened an office in New Delhi to enhance its presence in the Indian market, increase its exports to the country and to overcome any marketing challenges the Jordanian potash could face in the Indian market.

APC Chairman Jamal Sarayrah described the Indian market as one of the biggest fertiliser markets in the world and one of the most important markets for APC.

He noted that India imports around 550,000 tonnes of the product annually, indicating that India imported around 20 per cent of the Jordanian potash in 2013.

Sarayrah said he held bilateral meetings with representatives of Indian companies on the sidelines of FAI conference, to increase the Jordanian potash share in the Indian market, in particular, and the international market in general.

New Delhi Office Director Rami Athamneh presented a briefing on the duties of the office which is tasked with following up on the implementation of APC’s annual contracts in the Indian market which reached $270 million in 2014, expecting their value to increase to $300 million in 2015.

2:56 PM | 0 comments | التعليقات

GAC handles first Floating Storage Regasification Unit at Aqaba

GAC Jordan Managing Director Ghassoub Kawar and Deputy General Manager, Ibrahim Attieh along with Lars Egeberg – Project Manager, Tor Jahren – Fleet Manager, Capt. Ivica Mirovic and other members of Golar Eskimo and GAC Jordan at the Aqaba port.

As Jordan steps up its LNG imports, GAC was entrusted with handling the first gas carriers to offload at Aqaba.

The country has signed a sales and purchase agreement with Shell for the delivery of nearly 17 million cubic meters per day of gas, equal to approximately 25% of the National Electric Power Company’s daily needs, signaling an increase in demand for shipping and logistics services to support incoming Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) carriers.

GAC Jordan acted as agent for the ‘Golar Eskimo’ when it made its port call to offload 144,218 cubic meters of LNG from Qatar. As Golar’s agent and partner of choice in the country, GAC Jordan delivered a host of integrated services to the vessel including online connectivity and resupply, whilst also taking care of all the vessel’s manpower, equipment and marine assets needs.

GAC Jordan has handled ship-to-ship transfers of LNG from the ‘Castillo De Santisteban’, the first LNG carrier to call at Aqaba, and the ‘SCF Melampus’, to the ‘Golar Eskimo”. After loading, the LNG was regasified and pumped as natural gas to the NEPCO’s power stations.

The GAC team also worked around-the-clock to coordinate the placement of six pneumatic fenders to create a protective buffer alongside the FSRU, the first operation of its kind to be conducted in country. The task required careful co-ordination with a host of stakeholders and technical experts, and was overseen by GAC Jordan Managing Director Ghassoub Kawar and Deputy General Manager, Ibrahim Attieh.

“As the government of Jordan seeks additional supplies to meet energy demand, GAC Jordan is looking forward to handling more gas carriers at Aqaba,” says Kawar. “Having handled the first FSRU to call at the port’s new terminal, we are now ramping up to handle many more vessels in the near future; with about 4 LNG carriers expected each month.”

Source: GAC

2:21 PM | 0 comments | التعليقات

Consortium picked to build oil shale plant ‘might not secure financing

AMMAN — Stakeholders in Jordan's first shale oil-fuelled power plant are facing difficulties securing finance for the project and may seek an extension of the deadline for financial closure, according to a partner in the project.


They have until October 1 to secure finance for the $2.2 billion, 470 megawatt (MW) project, while they are facing difficulties at this stage with many entities refusing to finance the project, said Mohammad Maaitah, project partner of Attarat Power Company (APCO).


The company a wholly owned subsidiary of Enefit Jordan BV, owned by Enefit (Estonia’s Eesti Energia AS), Malaysia’s YTL Power International Berhad and Jordan’s Near East Investments Limited.


“It is unfortunate that many international and regional financing entities have not shown interest in financing this strategic and vital project for Jordan that will help it address one of its main major challenges posed by the bloating energy bill,” said Maaitah in a recent interview with The Jordan Times.


“Many agencies including the International Finance Corporation, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the Islamic Development Bank, among others either, have rejected or showed no interest in financing the project, which is likely to create 3,000 direct jobs during the construction phase and 700 jobs for ongoing operations,” said Maaitah.


He added that the consortium of companies that owns the power plant may seek an extension for two more months to to be ready for the financial closure for the scheme.


“If we do not secure the needed funds before end of this November, we will not be able to secure it at all then,”the executive said.


“If we do not start construction on the project early 2016, we will not be able to complete the plant by the second half of 2018 as stipulated by a deal signed with Jordanian government in 2014,” he added.


The consortium, he said, is currently in talks with Chinese banks including Bank of China, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China. “Let us hope we succeed in our endeavours before the year is over,” he added.


According to Maaitah, Estonia’s Eesti Energia AS, which has a 65 per cent stake in the project, is in talks with Chinese investors and Malaysia’s YTL Power International Berhad that already has a 35 per cent stake in the project, to sell part of its shares to them.


“The talks are very serious in this regard and have reached an advanced stage,” said Maaitah.


According to a deal signed with the government last year, the plant should be operational in the second half of 2018 and is expected to slash the country’s energy bill by $500 million annually as the electricity it will produce will be bought at half the current price.


The facility is expected to utilise Jordan’s vast reserves of oil shale estimated at more than 70 billion tonnes.

Jordan buys around 97 per cent of its energy needs.

2:18 PM | 0 comments | التعليقات

Italy’s Eni discovers largest natural gas field in Egypt

Descalzi was quoted by Eni as saying that the discovery reconfirms that “Egypt still has great potential” energy-wise.

Barclays analyst Tavy Rosner said the sell-off in Israeli energy shares seemed excessive, noting Leviathan’s main aim for Egypt was to supply BG International’s LNG facility there though a sub-sea pipeline, whereas much of the Egyptian gas – initially at least – would likely be for domestic consumption.

Italian oil company Eni stunned markets on Sunday after declaring the Mediterranean’s biggest-ever and the world’s 20th largest gas discovery off Egyptian waters, in the Zohr field holding an estimated 30 trillion cubic feet of gas.

It began imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in June.

2:17 PM | 0 comments | التعليقات

Experts call for increase of renewable sources in energy portfolio

As Turkey's green areas have been opened up for coal production facilities as part of the government's plan to increase the share of domestic coal in energy generation, experts argue that the energy policy should be revised to reflect the fact that the world's major countries are instead turning to renewable sources of energy.

Last year, Energy Minister Taner Yıldız said Turkey wanted 30 percent of its targeted energy production of 100 billion [megawatt hours] MWh per year in 2023 to come from domestic coal. “If it is considered that [the] present day share of coal is at 13 percent, then [domestic] coal's share in the overall production of energy will be doubled [by 2023],” he said.

Locals in the Yırca district of Manisa province, where there are 150 million tons of coal reserves, resisted the pro-government Kolin Holding's plan to construct a thermal power plant in the district last year. The 6th Chamber of the Council of State finally annulled the expropriation of the 388,000 square meters of olive groves by the company in April after protests by the villagers. However, the decision of the court only came after the company had already felled 6,000 olive trees.

Professor Tanay Sıtkı Uyar, president of Eurosolar Turkey, told Sunday's Zaman that countries are abandoning the production of fossil fuels, including coal, and urged Turkey to revise its energy policy by increasing the share of renewable energy sources in its total production of energy.

Noting that the major international financial institutions such as the World Bank and the US Exim Bank have ceased to provide loans for coal production, Uyar urged Turkey to focus on producing energy from wind and solar power as the country's topography and climate is highly favorable for producing energy from such renewable resources.

“Hillary Clinton has pledged that 500 million solar panels will be built in the US [if she gets elected president]. The US is preparing to derive energy from renewable resources in the coming decades,” added Uyar.

He also pointed out the importance of the introduction of measures to use energy efficiently and avoid waste as part of Turkey's energy policy by saying that the usage of LED lighting and other innovative methods in transportation, factories and households will help the country to use energy frugally.

‘Coal only an option if produced with modern techniques'

In an interview with Sunday's Zaman, Necdet Pamir, an academic at Bilkent Univeristy and head of the energy committee of the main opposition Republican People's Party (CHP), noted that 73.5 percent of Turkey's energy consumption is supplied by imports and said that energy production from coal would only be a viable option if modern and environment-friendly techniques are used.

Turkey spent a total of $54 billion on energy imports last year, which amounts to 25 percent of all the country's imports. Pamir claimed that Turkey has the potential to create almost 750 billion kilowatt hours of energy if it taps into unused indigenous energy sources such as coal, hydro, solar, wind, geothermal and biomass energy efficiently, which would be three times the electricity consumed last year. He believes Turkey should increase the percentage of its domestic resources in its currently high-import dependent mix.

He maintained that if the current private coal companies, which are poorly equipped in terms of environmental and safety standards as well as techincally inadequate, were to be modernized, then coal production would be a good option until the country shifts to much higher levels of renewable energy in its portfolio.

“Domestic coal production would reduce dependence on foreign countries and generate employment. Power plants based on clean coal technologies suitable for our own coal sources, such as those with fluidized-bed combustion, and equipped with appropriate air-filter systems and which will cause minimal damage to the environment should operate in the sector,” he said.

He lamented that the companies currently involved in coal production fail to meet standards in terms of dealing with hazards to the environment or ensuring workplace safety.

According to Pamir, mining licenses are too easily granted to private companies if they have ties with government officials, irrespective of whether they have the expertise or are well equipped to operate in the sector.

“Companies with expertise should operate in the mining sector. The previous reports of the Chamber of Mechanical Engineers [MMO] showed that mining companies use outdated technology,” said Pamir. “The owners of those firms used to operate in sectors [that are irrelevant to the mining sector] such as food production or textiles. They just enter the mining sector for profit despite lacking any expertise in the sector.”

2:15 PM | 0 comments | التعليقات

Paris – the romantic city

Paris is a city which has many things to offer – the Louvre, the 
Eiffel Tower, many fashion pieces and delicious food. It possesses a special romantic atmosphere that attracts all kinds of people from around the world – there are artists, businessmen and many more. If you want to learn how to say ,,I love you’’’ in all possible languages, you should visit the ,,Wall of Love’’. It is located in Montmartre and has confessions of love on more than 300 languages. If you are patient enough you would certainly find one in your mother language, which will be a very pleasant experience for you. Make sure to have breakfast in one of the local cafes. If you are bored of eating in the hotel, get up early and go to one of the many cafes to start a day with a tasty breakfast and a hot cup of French coffee. You can even try the very famous croissants to feel even more French. Find an intimate place in the most romantic park of the city. If you want to chill after a long day on the busy streets of France, you should go to the Buttes Chaumont park, which is situated in the northeastern part of Paris. This part is actually one of the most impressive and largest parks within the city. the city – one of the largest and most impressive parks of Paris. You can walk on the romantic bridges, enjoy the green hills and the scenery lakes and streams, watch the animals in the park and all in all have a wonderful time. There is a thing that is a classic when you are in Paris – getting lost. And no, that doesn’t mean literally getting lost but just going out without knowing where are you going. That is one of the most romantic things to do in the City of Love – Paris. Leave your map at the hotel room, leave even your phone there. You will eventually find a familiar place and return safely at the hotel. Grab a taxi, tell the driver to take you to some interesting place and just wait. You will discover things you haven’t seen before and you will feel free from everything. Another activity that would be very pleasant to be felt is going to a picnic. You can choose whether it is a lunch picnic of picnic in the evening – the decision is yours. The second one is, of course, more romantic so if you are in Paris with your loved one, this activity would be very fun for both of you. Grab a rug, a blanket or anything like that, grab a couple f croissants and go to the park to spend the rest of your day.f

2:13 PM | 2 comments | التعليقات