Ammon News - Energy Minister Saleh Kharabsheh and Emirati Minister of Industry and Advanced Technology Sultan Al Jaber signed a memorandum of understanding on Wednesday to collaborate in renewable energy.

The deal was signed on the sidelines of the 2022 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27) held in Egypt's Sharm El Sheikh.

Kharabsheh said that the agreement stipulates research cooperation for prospects of investing in and developing wind energy projects with a 2-gigawatt production capacity, in addition to exchanging experiences and technology in green energy, setting up qualification and training programs for Jordanian experts and engineers, and linking Jordanian and Emirati universities for green energy scholarships.

Highlighting Jordan's achievements in renewable energy, the minister said 29 percent of electricity generated at the end of last July was from renewable energy sources. The total installed capacity of electric power generation projects from renewable energy sources, he continued, reached about 2,526 megawatts in the same period.

The Kingdom's energy generated from the total installed capacity of renewable energy by the end of 2021 topped about 5.5 terawatt/hour, placing Jordan first in the region on the installed capacity of renewable energy sources rate, not including hydropower, and third on the amount of energy produced, after Egypt and Morocco, Kharabsheh added.

He stressed the ministry's commitment to raising the rate to 50 percent by 2030 and making Jordan a regional hub for green energy by "leveraging the abundant sustainable sources and the central location of Jordan in the Middle East and North Africa."

The partnership with the UAE and Masdar - a government-owned renewable energy company - backs Jordanian efforts to reach a 31-percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions, the minister added.

For his part, Jaber, who is also Masdar's Chairman, said the agreement underscores the solid Jordanian-Emirati ties, adding that Masdar is sparing no effort in assisting neighboring countries in their energy transition journeys.

Masdar has been a prominent partner of Jordan for almost ten years, said CEO Mohamed Al Ramahi, expressing hope that this deal will further deepen cooperation with Jordan in renewable energy.