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Ammon News - AMMAN (Petra) Standing in for the prime minister, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Malik Kabariti opened the International Conference on Renewable Energy and Its Future on Monday, which brings together Arab and foreign scientists, researchers and specialists.

The conference will focus on reducing dependence on conventional energy and increasing the use of renewable energy, including solar and wind generated energy, through the use of inexpensive, modern and effective means to benefit from available energy, especially in the case of Middle Eastern countries which enjoy sunshine most of the year, as well adapting wind energy.

In opening remarks, Kabariti said Jordan views renewable energy as one of the possible solutions to ease the energy crisis in Jordan.

He noted that the cost of imported energy in 2012 reached JD4.6 billion, accounting for 20 percent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product.

"Debts of the National Electric Power Company will rise to JD4 billion at the end of this year and if we do not raise electricity prices, said Kabariti, the company's debts by 2016 will exceed the Central Bank of Jordan's total assets of foreign currency, gold and bonds.

The conference will provide a platform for the transfer of expertise to countries that depend on the use of solar energy to countries which lack resources to generate energy and could better-utilise alternative energy.

Also, conference participants will hear the readings of 40 scientific papers on six themes - solar energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, hydroelectric energy, energy efficiency, and energy economics and management.

The three-day event is organised by the Jordan Society for Scientific Research (JSSR), in cooperation with Petra University.