Industrial companies signed 66 agreements on Tuesday as part of a project to support the implementation of energy efficiency technologies in the industrial sector.
This initiative is spearheaded by the Jordan Chamber of Industry through its Energy and Environmental Sustainability Unit in partnership with the Jordan Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Fund (JREEEF) under the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.
Saleh Kharabsheh, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, emphasized the government’s recognition of the industrial sector as a crucial driver of growth and economic development, noting its significant role in achieving the Economic Modernization Vision’s growth targets, creating job opportunities, and addressing unemployment challenges.
Kharabsheh stated that the ministry is dedicated to alleviating the burdens on all economic sectors, especially the industrial sector, to enable its facilities to function effectively as major economic engines. He highlighted that energy savings achieved by
other sectors through the fund’s programs reached about 60 percent.
He also pointed out that Jordan’s energy intensity index is 20-25 percent higher than the global average, underscoring the need to rationalize energy consumption. He points to a program to supply natural gas to factories, which started from the al-Risha gas field and has reached industrial cities like al-Quwairah, al-Rawda, al-Muwaqqar, al-Mafraq, and al-Hashimiyya.
Fathi Jaghbir, head of the Jordan and Amman Chambers of Industry, acknowledged the government’s understanding of the industrial sector’s importance, reflected in the ongoing engagements between His Majesty and sector representatives.
He stressed the mutual agreement between the chambers and the ministry on the significance of energy to the industrial sector, with the agreements representing progress and enhanced competitiveness. Jaghbir highlighted that Jordanian products reach about 142 countries, with the industry sector being a major employer, providing jobs for up to 13 emp
loyees per facility.
Rasmi Hamza, Director General of the fund, expressed pride in the partnership with the industrial sector, calling it a significant milestone in public-private sector collaborations. He stressed the necessity of moving from merely using renewable energy sources to first rationalizing energy consumption.
The program aims to encourage all industrial facilities to conduct energy audit studies to identify energy consumption sources and opportunities for optimal savings and efficiency. It also seeks to motivate investments in energy efficiency by offering program support, reducing production costs, particularly electricity, and enhancing competitiveness by rationalizing consumption and improving energy source efficiency.
The program provides advice on promoting a culture of energy consumption rationalization and efficiency without high investment costs, along with direct technical support through specialized companies. It involves an integrated energy audit study detailing the facility’s pri
mary energy consumers and providing clear recommendations on energy-saving measures, investment costs, and expected payback periods.
The JREEEF supports factories by covering 100 percent of the energy audit study’s cost, allowing factories to choose their licensed energy audit companies, provided the study cost does not exceed JD 10,000. The fund also covers the interest on loans taken by factories to implement energy-saving measures, with loans up to JD 35,000 repayable over five years and a 70 percent loan guarantee in collaboration with the Loan Guarantee Corporation.
The industrial sector is the fourth-largest energy consumer in Jordan, using approximately 938,000 tons of oil equivalent, accounting for 14 percent of final energy consumption in 2017. It also consumes about 22 percent of the electrical energy, second only to the domestic sector, according to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources’ 2018 publication.
Source: Jordan News Agency