The debt proceeds of the financing arrangement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (OPIC) will be used to finance the construction of a SunEdison owned 23.8 MW DC solar power plant in the Ma'an Governate, in Southern Jordan. Construction will begin in Q4 2014 and interconnection is expected to take place in Q3 of 2015.
“This project is a new proof point of SunEdison's capacity to develop innovative energy solutions matching government requirements in record time,” said Jose Perez, president of SunEdison for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America. “Our wide expertise — together with the partnership with world-class partners, such as OPIC and EBRD — have been crucial for this achievement."
Al Dahya, general manager of SunEdison for MENA and Turkey, said this project will be critical for Jordan to increase its renewable energy capacity and to reduce its reliance on costly hydrocarbon imports. “Photovoltaic energy has the potential to be an important part of
the future diversified energy mix in the Middle East, reducing energy costs and contributing to the growing energy demand,” Dahya explained. “This project represents just the beginning of SunEdison's long-term commitment to the development of the clean energy in the region.”
The project will cover an area of approximately 50 hectares and will feature SunEdison 330 monocrystalline modules and the AP90 Single Axis tracker. On an annual basis, the system is expected to generate approximately 57,000 MWH of electricity, saving the emission of 35,000 tons of CO
2. The solar PV plant will sell electricity to the Jordanian National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) under a 20-year power purchase agreement. The power plant will connect to the grid via a substation that will be built by NEPCO.