“The energy sector is in a dangerous situation and we need rapid change in the way we approach energy,” National Energy Research Centre (NERC) President Malek Kabariti told The Jordan Times recently.

According to Kabariti, one of the reasons the Kingdom has been unwilling to face its energy deficit is because it has experienced three “honeymoon” periods where it received energy assistance from abroad: Discounted oil from the Gulf countries in the 1970s, discounted oil from Iraq during the 1990s and currently the favourable deal for natural gas with Egypt.

With the lifting of oil subsidies earlier this month, the importance of the energy sector rose dramatically and was placed on the top of policymakers’ agendas.

According to the NERC president, the Kingdom is more than capable of generating 600 megawatts of wind and 600 megawatts of solar energy, 10 per cent of the Kingdom’s energy consumption by 2020 as is outlined in the National Energy Strategy. The energy official pointed to countries such as Germany as models for the Kingdom to follow.

German government has strongly pushed for renewable energy to be adopted worldwide. With 18,600 wind turbines, the country accounts for nearly 30 per cent of the global wind energy production.

“Jordan has a lot of potential in this area, and it has become among our main goals to help them along,” German embassy official Christian Mangelsdorf told The Jordan Times.

Renewable energy is not only providing Germany with 20 gigawatts of energy, but also employing around 200,000 people, Mangelsdorf said. Such a switch in the sector would provide a similar job growth for Jordan, he added.

The Ministry of Energy is doing just that, according to Ziad Jibril, head of the ministry’s Renewable Energy Directorate.

In line with the energy master plan, the ministry has been aggressively pursuing developments in wind and solar energy, with many projects under way as of the beginning of this year, he said.

The directorate launched in December 2007 a bidding process for the Kingdom’s first wind turbine, a 40-watt structure to be installed in Kamsheh near Jerash.

In the second half of this year, the ministry will establish a 60-megawatt plant in Al Fajij, near Shobak, and a 50-megawatt station in Wadi Araba, near Aqaba.

Feasibility and wind measurement studies are currently under way in Tafileh, where the ministry hopes to implement a 100-150 megawatts wind power plant by next year, he added.

The ministry is supporting solar water heaters, and is studying a proposed solar thermal power plant that could produce 150-300 megawatts by 2015.

The Kingdom’s third energy source is oil shale, which is burned and used to create oil. The Kingdom can learn from countries such as Estonia, where 80 per cent of energy is from burning oil shale, according to Kabariti.

“This is the black gold of Jordan,” Kabariti said, noting that if properly utilised, oil shale can provide the Kingdom with 50 per cent of its energy needs.

According to the Natural Resources Authority, 40 billion tonnes of oil shale exist in 21 sites concentrated by the Yarmouk River, Buweida, Beit Ras, Rweished and Karak, Madaba and Maan districts.

Kabariti countered that recent assessments by Shell oil company revealed that there are well over 40 billion tonnes of untapped oil shale within the country.

Jibril seemed doubtful of the resource’s potential as an immediate cure for the Kingdom’s energy crunch.

“We have oil shale, but it will take a long time to make the resource commercially viable. Wind and solar, on the other hand, are much more mature and ready to be utilised,” he said, noting that the ministry is working with several private companies experienced in oil shale in studying the resource’s potential and location.

According to Kabariti, energy conservation must go hand-in-hand with renewable energy.

“Why do we need gas-guzzling SUVs in a resource poor country?” he asked, calling for a mechanism to penalise those who use excess energy, placing a strain on the lower and middle classes.

Proper insulation and dimming lights, among other energy-conscious practices, can reduce the country’s energy needs by 20 per cent in the next 12 years, Kabariti stressed, adding that education is key for the country to make the necessary transition.

To this end, the German embassy started a roving exhibition on renewable energy to educate the society on the savings and urgent need. Displays on solar thermal, wind, and geothermal energy and conservation practices will tour universities, institutions and businesses, Mangelsdorf said, noting that the exhibition has already been booked through June.

The ministry’s main efforts to encourage companies to switch to alternative energy is the renewable energy draft law, which outlines the incentives for companies to incorporate and develop renewable energy technology as well as regulations governing renewable energy sector standards. The draft law, which encourages companies to use locally manufactured materials, is expected to be presented to the Cabinet soon, Jibril said.