Funds secure for 2,000 mosques to use renewable energy

AMMAN - - Around 2,000 mosques in Jordan are expected to be fully running on renewable energy in two years, reducing their energy consumption by a minimum of 90 per cent, a government official said on Thursday.

Currently, 400 mosques in Jordan generate their needs of electricity via solar energy projects. In Jordan, there are some 6,300 mosques, but only 2,000 of them need renewable energy projects as their electricity bills are too high, Minister of Awqaf and Islamic Affairs Hayel Daoud said Thursday.

"The remaining mosques do not need such project at this stage as their monthly bills do not exceed JD15 to JD20 per month," said the minister following the signing of a JD4 million agreement with the Jordan Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Fund JREEEF to support a project to increase funding to mosques to use renewable energy installations to generate power.

Under the agreement, funding provided to mosques under the project will be increased from 20 per cent to 50 per cent, while the remainder will be covered by donations from philanthropists and charities.

Solar panels with total generating capacity of 4 megawatts will be installed. Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Ibrahim Saif said the project will play a key role in reducing energy spending.

The minister added that the mosque's current annual energy bill stands at around JD8 million.

"This scheme will significantly reduce costs. Bills of some of the mosques that already have these solar panels reach zero most of the time," said Saif.

The minister added that JREEEF is working in line with a strategy to implement projects in various areas including households, mosques, hotels, public agencies and other areas to boost usage of green energy.