Ammon News - AMMAN (Petra) – Demand for primary energy in the Kingdom is expected to rise by 5.5 per cent by 2020, and 12.5 million tons of oil, an increase of 50 per cent compared to energy consumption last year, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Mohamamd Hamid said.

Addressing the opening ceremony of the 2nd Global Green Technices Forum GTFEX, which opened in Amman today, he said Jordan's oil bill reached JD4.6 billion or 21 per cent of the Gross Domestic Product in 2012, compared to JD2.6 billion in 2011, accounting for 13.3 per cent of the GDP.

The minister, who was speaking on behalf of Chairman His of the Jordan Renewable Energy Agency, His Royal Highness Prince Asem bin Nayef, said that every single doallr rise in oil prices at the international level costs the Jordanian economy $40 million annually.

The two-day forum will discuss legislation related to renewable energy, challenges facing the implementation of energy projects in the region, and the role of the government in supporting the renewable energy sector.

The event is being attended by representatives from the public and private sector in Jordan, Sudan, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Europe and the United States.