Published on January 4, 2024
Jordan benefits from abundant renewable energy, a strategic proximity to green hydrogen import markets, investment-friendly regulations, and a well-established infrastructure. Combine this with the government’s commitment to solving the country’s water scarcity problem, and we have the perfect recipe for making Jordan a world-class hub for green hydrogen and renewable Power-to-X technologies.
In March 2023, Dr. Jihad Alsaweer from the Jordanian Ministry of Environment, along with 25 experts from the public and academic sector, participated in the first PtX Hub’s Basic Training in Jordan. During the three-day workshop, the paradigm shift from green hydrogen to Power-to-X – producing everything traditionally made from fossil fuels with renewable electricity – drastically changed the possibilities.
The concepts of Power-to-X were quite new to us. We always hear about green hydrogen, but the application and use cases for the Jordanian industry are quite different. For example, when we add nitrogen to green hydrogen, we get green ammonia, which we can actually use in our fertiliser industry.
– Dr Jihad Alsaweer from the Jordanian Ministry of Environment
Almost a year ago, also to Eng. Shorouq Abdel Ghani, Department Director of Planning & Organisational Development at the Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources (MEMR), green hydrogen seemed to be a topic that was mainly relevant to European industries. “It took some discussion to change that,” says Eng. Shorouq.
The insights from the training have changed the way I and my colleagues look at green hydrogen. We now think about it from a Jordanian perspective and see how Power-to-X could benefit our own economy. And we realise that we ourselves have a lot to gain from switching to green production.
– Eng. Shorouq Abdel Ghani, Department Director of Planning & Organisational Development at the Ministry of Energy & Mineral Resources (MEMR)
Analysing existing Jordanian industrial value chains to defossilise
Currently, experts at the Ministry have been developing a national green hydrogen strategy that focuses on creating a green hydrogen economy in Jordan that supports robust exports and affordable domestic supply.
One of our strategic priorities is to stimulate local market demand by creating a favorable regulatory framework to start the transformation towards green production.
– Eng. Yacoub Marar, Director of Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Department at MEMR
As Jordan’s green hydrogen strategy is being prepared, experts are taking a closer look at the potential for local industries to move away from fossil fuels. Supplying Jordan’s chemical industry with green hydrogen will lead the sector towards more competitive products while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. “Power-to-X will provide Jordan with the opportunity to build up new value chains and industries, and even leapfrog fossil-based production pathways,” adds Eng. Yacoub.
To shift the narrative from just hydrogen to PtX applications specifically tailored to Jordan, Nooraldeen Balah, Advisor at the PtX Hub, provided technical advice on the energy sector in Jordan.
To realise the full potential of green hydrogen for Jordan, we are focusing on its strategic integration into local industries. By harnessing our diverse resources of solar, wind, and water, we aim to produce hydrogen as a feedstock. This will put Jordan on the path to low-carbon and sustainable economic growth by opening doors to previously unattainable industries. Our mission is to turn potential into growth.
– Nooraldeen Balah, Advisor at the PtX Hub in Jordan
In addition to determining the baseline from which the country is now starting its PtX development, economic factors such as the projected costs of PtX storage and transportation are the basis of the strategy.
Considering socio-economic benefits beyond climate action
The regulations currently being developed in Jordan will set the tone for the socio-economic benefits that the country will reap from green hydrogen and PtX production.
We are already receiving proposals for large- and small-scale green hydrogen and PtX production plants from project developers. So, in addition to the economic prospects, we are building the expertise to evaluate these proposals in depth, with a particular focus on the social and environmental benefits that the projects may or may not generate.
– Dr Khaled A. Momani, Director of Urban Planning for Development and Free Zones at the Ministry of Investment
“It is crucial to start thinking now about the socio-economic benefits that PtX projects must generate,” agrees Christoph Michel, Financing Expert at the PtX Hub.
Jordan is looking to its neighbours
As well as forging its own path, Jordan is looking across the Mediterranean for inspiration.
We can learn a lot by looking at the status quo of regulations, standards, and certification in the EU. Jordan will soon have to develop these regulations as well. And when we talk to our European partners, we need to have a common language to discuss these tools with them.
– Eng. Amaal Khatatbeh, Renewable Energy Engineer at the Energy and Mineral Regulatory Commission (EMRC)
To help build this understanding, the PtX Hub hosted an all-day certification training in Amman in October, where 40 Jordanian policymakers and energy experts discussed the question of what counts as green and why.
Continuing this exchange, the International PtX Hub also organised a transformative study tour for a Jordanian delegation of representatives from ministries, public institutions, and academia.
The study tour provided insights into the existing and current infrastructure of green hydrogen facilities. It showcased different elements along the PtX value chain, including its production, storage, and transportation. This experience will help us develop Jordan’s green hydrogen infrastructure.
– Eng. Mohammed Katatsheh, Commercial & Procurement Manager at Jordan Oil Terminals Company (JOTC)
Getting PtX off the ground: professionals wanted
Looking ahead to the implementation of the national green hydrogen strategy, two Jordanian universities are already training students and energy professionals to get the new PtX value chains off the ground.
A course on the basics of PtX, developed by the German Jordanian University in Amman together with the PtX Hub, has been running with an intensive six-hour seminar once a week. After testing the course with 18 academic experts and refining it during a two-day workshop, the professors are currently piloting it for one semester before integrating it into the existing Master of Science Renewable Energy programm.
In October 2023, a second new course has been conducted at Hussein Technical University. The course combines theoretical knowledge with real-world applications: from site visits to interactive workshops, the students delved into practical applications and enhanced their expertise in the evolving field of hydrogen production and PtX processes. The primary objective was to enhance the technical and professional skills of Jordanian technicians and engineers, preparing them for the dynamic local, regional, and global job markets. A total of 150 students have already completed the courses.
This journey of continuous learning has been incredibly rewarding, allowing me to stay at the forefront of renewable energy trends and expand my skills in the production, transport, and storage of green hydrogen. This completes the cycle of with my previous in-depth analysis of hydrogen fuel cells during my undergraduate studies.
– Mariana Franses Shawkat Haddadin, a student at the German-Jordanian University in Amman, after completing the PtX course
Beyond Jordan, Dr. Ramez Khaldi Both, professor at Najah University in Nablus joined the sessions and will offer selected modules as extra training for his own students. This collaboration ensures that selected modules will be offered as additional training to students in Ramallah and Nablus, further entrenching the sustainability of the courses. “It was particularly important to us that the newly developed courses would be sustained by being integrated into established Master’s programmes,” he added. The universities are offering the courses free of charge. “We can’t wait to see the first PtX projects up and running in Jordan. I am proud to be part of the country’s energy transition,” Nooraldeen Balah, Advisor at the PtX Hub in Jordan concludes.
Mina Ghanem, Nooraldeen Balah, and Ala Awali contributed to this article.
Copyright for all pictures: GIZ.
