Amman: The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources announced a new energy sector strategy for 2025-2035, aiming to strengthen Jordan's energy security by shifting to clean and sustainable sources. This strategy is designed to support economic competitiveness and growth across various productive sectors.
According to Jordan News Agency, the cabinet gave its approval to the strategy on Sunday, establishing it as a national framework to guide policies, programs, and projects within the energy sector. The objective is to enhance governmental coordination and direct investments towards clearly defined priorities in the upcoming phase.
A ministry statement highlighted the strategic direction's focus on maximizing local resource utilization while accelerating the adoption of modern technologies. This approach aims to build a smart, flexible, and sustainable energy system. The strategy promotes an integrated model that expands the use of domestic natural gas and renewable energy, aiming to increase self-reliance and enhance the reliability of the kingdom's energy sector.
A crucial aspect of the strategy is the expansion of domestic natural gas use, with significant projects such as the development of the Risha gas field. The field's output is expected to reach 418 million cubic feet per day by 2029 and 812 million cubic feet per day by 2035, meeting the rising demand. Plans also include constructing a pipeline to link the Risha field with the Arab Gas Pipeline, anticipated to be operational by 2029, and continuing to convert industries to natural gas, with projected demand at around 173 million cubic feet per day by 2035. Distribution networks will be expanded in Amman and Zarqa, covering residential, industrial, and service sectors.
The strategy places a strong emphasis on renewable energy and green hydrogen, setting a target for renewables to account for 40% of the electricity mix by 2035, alongside new solar and wind generation capacity. Jordan plans to commence commercial production of green hydrogen by 2030, reaching approximately 500,000 tons by 2035.
Development plans include expanding power generation using combined-cycle technology between 2027 and 2030 to meet growing demand. Additionally, modern storage solutions, including battery systems and pumped-storage projects, will be introduced, aiming to reduce electricity losses to 8% by 2035. The strategy also envisions the application of time-of-use tariffs across all sectors by September 2026 to manage demand and reduce peak loads.
In the transport sector, the plan supports a shift towards clean energy, targeting electric vehicles to account for 60% of annual new car sales, with total EV numbers reaching around 500,000. The introduction of compressed natural gas, particularly for heavy vehicles, is also part of the strategy.