‘Gov’t in final stages of preparing deals for oil shale power plant’

AMMAN — The government said on Sunday it is in the final stages of preparing agreements to be signed with Attarat Power Company to start work on its $2.4 billion oil shale-fuelled power plant.

“We are committed to this project and we need to complete four agreements that will soon be signed with the company to start it,” Energy Minister Mohammad Hamed told The Jordan Times.

Two of the four agreements are ready and the ministry is waiting for two more to be finalised, the minister said.

“We will soon notify the company that the agreements are ready and invite them to sign the four deals,” he added.

Agreements by the ministry and the National Electric Power Company are ready to be signed, but another two by the Department of Lands and Survey, and the Energy and Mineral Resources Regulatory Commission are in the final stages of drafting, according to Hamed.

Last week, the Attarat Power Company said it is awaiting the government’s response on when to sign the deals to go ahead with its $2.4 billion oil shale-fuelled power plant.

Earlier this year, the Cabinet approved signing an agreement to build the plant by the company, which is owned by Enefit (Eesti Energia AS), YTL Power International Berhad and Near East Investments Limited. 

The plant’s 470-megawatt (MW) capacity will account for some 15 per cent of Jordan’s current overall electricity capacity of 3,200MW.

The plant, which is expected to be operational in February 2018, will be established on a build, own and operate basis.