Saudi Arabian energy group ACWA Power has finished building a 50 MW PV power plant in Risha, Jordan.

The company said in a press release that the solar park started commercial operations at the beginning of this month, following the completion of all required commissioning and startup tests.

“Reaching COD within the specified time frame indicates our commitment to reliably delivering clean energy at affordable tariffs for Jordan and adds to our extensive portfolio of renewable energy projects across the region,” said Thamer Al Sharhan, ACWA Power’s managing director.

The project was tendered by National Electric Power Co. (NEPCO), Jordan’s state-owned power utility, in 2017. ACWA Power won the tender with a bid of JOD 0.42 ($0.59)/kWh over a period of 20 years. The plant is located in Risha, in Mafraq Governorate, around 300 km northeast of Amman, the national capital. More specifically, the facility is situated in a military zone 4 km from the Iraqi border, adjacent to the existing 150 MW Risha gas turbine power plant, which is owned and operated by CEGCO, a unit of ACWA Power.

Popular content

The $69 million project was financed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Germany’s Deutsche Investitions- Und Entwicklungsgesellschaft Mbh (DEG), a subsidiary of KfW Group, and Arab Bank. EBRD contributed $27.6 million.

ACWA Power is also building another 60.9 MW PV array in Mafraq, northeast of Amman. ET Solutions AG, the German unit of Chinese PV module supplier ET Solar, is currently building the project in partnership with China’s Northwest Power Design Institute (NWPDI), a unit of China Power Engineering Consulting Group. The plant will sell electricity to NEPCO under a 20-year PPA at a price of JOD 0.043/kWh.