اقتصاد

Natural Wealth is Decoding the Next "Prettier" Saying

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Al-Anbat -
Al-Anbat- MAYS ALSHAWABKEH 
'Al-Anbat"s' source: Jordan plans to lower energy costs, and three new gas stations will enter the market. 
Al Kharabsheh predicts that Jordan will serve as a regional hub for "green" and "renewable" energy. 
Al-Shawabkeh: The second phase of the transmission of the brass file to "Al-Manaseer" and Turkish "Solvest" 
Makhamreh: Maximizing the use of mineral resources will significantly influence the direction of economic growth. 
Ersheid: Shale stock will produce electricity for 900 years. 
Al-Anbat Team 
Every meeting or press conference called by Prime Minister Dr. Bisher Al-Khasawneh included the phrase "next most beautiful," which was used so often that it became a mystery to many political and popular circles as well as the modernization of most media and social media platforms, characterizing Jordan as no mystery lasting longer than a few weeks. 
Al-Anbat then investigated the meaning of the next word, "Prettier," and came to the conclusion through its own research and sources that the "natural wealth" that the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources is investigating, developing, and increasing the production of oil, gas, and natural minerals within the recently unveiled economic vision is the key to understanding the next word, "Prettier." 
Regarding oil derivatives, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources is engaged in a significant oil exploration project southeast of Al-Sarhan. The project, which was initiated in June, aims to discover oil in the Kingdom's well at depths between 1400 and 1750 meters. Al-Anbat noted that the National Petroleum Company's drilling operations have already reached 1800 meters and that the Ministry of Energy is in the midst of purchasing a 16 million dinar excavator to help with those operations. 
The National Petroleum Company (NPC), on the other hand, has started extensive gas exploration based on data that suggested it might be available in both new areas and areas that currently produce gas, albeit in small quantities. This is being done to address the issue of rising energy costs and imports of natural gas from various sources, which amount to about $6 billion a year. The goal of economic modernisation is to encourage private industry participation in mineral, oil, and gas exploration activities. The goal is to increase domestic gas production because present output only accounts for 7% of Jordan's daily demands, which total roughly 330 million cubic feet. 
"We have a strategy to make additional gas discoveries within the company's concession regions, including Al-Risha, Al-Azraq and Al-Sarhan," said Mohammed Al Khasawneh, the company's general manager, in prior news releases. He added that he is currently drilling two new gas wells in Al-Risha region while waiting to buy a new excavator this year to improve drilling and exploration operations. He noted that work has started on gas exploration in Al-Sarhan region of northeastern Jordan, but that it is not possible to talk about the extent to which there are indications of abundant quantities and volumes at this time. He mentioned that 200 million cubic feet is the target according to the government plan. 
Saleh Al Kharabsheh, the minister of energy and mineral resources, forecast that oil and gas exploration will pick up in most of the Kingdom's regions over the coming year. In order to invite businesses interested in applying for an exploration license, 2,000 kilometers of two-dimensional seismic survey lines will be analyzed, and an integrated dossier of data will be created surrounding each exploration region. 
From both conventional and unconventional sources, the Ministry has identified roughly 12 potential locations for oil and gas exploration, including the Hamza Development Area and Al-Sarhan Development Field. The following Jordanian oil exploration zones are still open: Al-Azraq, Al-Sarhan Exploration, Al-Sarhan Development, Al-Jafir, West Safawi, Dead Sea, Northern Highlands, Petra, and Rum. 
Numerous indicators corroborate Jordan's oil reserves, according to a Ministry of Energy assessment. Light oil was found at Well 4 in the Al-Sarhan development region, and the reserve was pegged at 20–40 million barrels. The finding is the south-western extension of the Inner Valleys Basin's rotating formation system that was established in the Al-Risha field, which is also part of northern Saudi Arabia and western Iraq. 
A special source later affirmed to Al-Anbat that Jordan is moving in the direction of liberalizing energy prices and promoting competition among private sector businesses, such as in the telecoms sector, and they also said that three gas stations will soon enter the energy sector market.
Renewable Energy 
In recent years, Jordan's interest in renewable energy projects has grown. According to the Ministry of Energy, Jordan ranks first in Arabic for the total capacity of renewable energy sources excluding hydropower, but third overall in terms of energy production after Egypt and Morocco.
According to government statistics, Jordan's total installed capacity for renewable energy projects reached 5.5 terawatts per hour at the end of last year. Of this, 1,498 megawatts (MW) were owned by commercial entities under power purchase agreements, accounting for 59% of the total installed capacity, and 1027 MW were subscribers-owned renewable energy system projects, making up 41% of the total.
Jordan has a low level of fossil fuel production, but it has natural resources for producing clean energy, which encourages it to become independent in the production of electricity. Jordan's top renewable energy sources, solar and wind, need to be better utilized while also reducing carbon emissions to combat climate change. According to the Energy and Minerals Sector Regulatory Authority as seen by the Energy Research Unit, the number of days the sun shines in Jordan reaches 316 days per year at an average of 8 hours per day. Many areas are also exposed to wind speeds ranging from 7 to 8.5 meters per second. The country is located in the direct solar belt. 
The first renewable energy project, Southeast Dead Sea, is a wind farm called "Tafila" that costs $287 million and can produce up to 117 megawatts of power. With turbines producing electricity at reduced costs by 25% compared to thermal energy prices,  Tafila governorate's wind power plant can provide electricity to roughly 80,000 houses, saving Jordan about $ 50 million yearly from the cost of electricity generation, including the wind farm. Tafila, which is privately funded, consists of 38 turbines with a maximum tower height of 100 meters.
 Tafila wind power station was co-financed by the International Finance Corporation, the European Investment Bank, the OPEC Fund for International Development, the Danish Export Credit Agency, the Arab European Bank, and the Dutch Foundation for Finance and Development. 
Shams Ma 'an Solar Power Plant, with an investment cost of $ 170 million and a power generation capacity of up to 52.5 megawatts, is one of the most well-known renewable energy projects. According to Shams Ma'an Data Research Unit, the facility, which accounts for 1% of Jordan's current power production, can reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 90,000 tons annually. 
Given the high cost of electricity bills, including the country's dependence on imported fossil fuels for the operation of plants, Jordan's renewable energy projects do not only involve government or private organizations; there are numerous participants, including from homes, schools, embassies, and places of worship. 73% of energy is produced by natural gas, which is facing a large price increase on global markets. 
King Abdullah II inaugurated a number of photovoltaic solar projects in Maan in 2017 with investments totaling more than JD 400 million ($564.18 million). These projects include 12 with a capacity of 200 megawatts of electricity, 10 with a capacity of 170 MW, one with a capacity of 10 MW in the Aqaba Economic Zone, and another with a capacity of 20 MW in  Hawsha-Mafraq region. 
With the launch of the Renewable Energy and Energy Rationalization Fund, a national program to support the home sector with solar cell systems through direct government support and accessible financing facilities for individuals, Jordan seeks to deploy solar cell systems in the domestic sector as part of plans to lower the cost of the electricity bill while achieving the goal of a sustainable energy mix. The second phase of the National Program to Support the Home Sector with Solar Cell Systems and Solar Heaters was introduced by the Fund in May 2022. The Fund and representatives of Islamic Banks, Cairo Amman, Safwa, and Capital have inked a contract to offer affordable payment programs that assist people in installing solar-powered systems and home heaters.
In addition, the government provided financing options through banks and regional organizations for the remaining 70% of the cost of solar heaters and cells for residential use. The project to promote the installation of solar cell systems for households is growing the business of renewable energy providers and creating jobs, according to the Ministry of Energy. To provide access to citizens easier where they live, the Renewable Energy Fund, which has been operating since 2014, is anticipated to sign comparable agreements with 25 local associations in various governorates. With a financing volume of 15 million dinars, the government successfully installed solar cell systems and solar heating systems for 4,000 and 500 residences during the program's first phase. The Kingdom effectively increased the share of renewable energy with electricity generation capacity inside the nation to 29% by the end of July (2022), compared to 26% last year (2021), compared to just 0.7% in 2014, according to prior statements by the Director of the Renewable Energy Fund.
Dr. Saleh Al-Kharabsheh, the energy minister, told Al-Anbat that the ministry anticipates technological advancement will help with the storage of renewable energy. He added that the ministry looks forward to Jordan becoming a regional hub for renewable energy and for the production and supply of green energy to neighboring nations and some European nations in the event that infrastructure development and storage are completed. The Ministry is engaged in various contacts with regional and European countries to work on infrastructure for the transmission of electricity generated from solar energy to these countries. In the event of the development of the networking infrastructure, we will be greatly assisted in this process, Adding that solar energy can be used to produce green hydrogen that is the fuel of the future Explaining that the Ministry has put this idea to many countries to reach consensus on the success of this process.
Al Kharabsheh stated that solar energy makes up 26% of the electricity produced and that the Ministry is researching storage options for the electricity generated because if it is stored, we can increase the contribution of renewable energy to the overall energy map. As a result, we look to the future and believe that solar energy will be a local source of energy. Jordan has some of the highest levels of solar radiation in the world, clear skies, and more than 300 sunny days annually, all of which help to raise the proportion of renewable energy in the overall energy picture, lower the price of energy imports, and improve energy security. 
In a similar vein, Minister Al-Kharabsheh and Robert Habeck, the German Federal Minister for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, declared that their two nations were stepping up their cooperation in the area of renewable energy, and that their projects topped the IFC's investment agenda with a combined investment total of about $713 million.
The Foundation's investments in Jordan rank third in the Middle East, Central Asia, Turkey, Afghanistan, and Pakistan in terms of total investment value. International financial organizations and corporations frequently participate in renewable energy projects, and Amman aims to increase the share of clean energy in the country's electrical mix to 50% by 2030 from the present 25%. World Bank's It has invested more than $510 million in funding numerous large-scale initiatives over the past ten years, and the majority of them are related to renewable energy. The Foundation collaborated with a fund to support start-ups and provided early-stage risk capital to invest in more than 90 Jordanian start-ups over the fiscal years 2021 and 2022. The projects were funded by three independent wind energy projects, nine solar energy projects, and the Foundation.
In partnership with the German Federal Government, Jordan organized a regional energy conference in the Dead Sea region in the beginning of June. Around 700 people, including ministers, officials, and institution representatives, attended. The seminar is being hosted as part of the Jordanian collaboration initiative, according to Al-Kharabsheh. The German side will be praised for its support of the energy sector as Germany will debate energy-related topics, including hydrogen, energy efficiency, renewable energy, and power interconnection projects. The importance of the Conference in stepping up the ambitions of participating States and institutions to combat climate change as well as to secure a reliable supply of affordable energy through the diversification of supply sources will be emphasized in side workshops that will be held in conjunction with the Conference to discuss the important issues that will be covered by the Conference.
Copper Coil and Gold
The country's reserves, according to official data, amount to about 27.8 million tons. The most significant copper ore minerals are malakite, crezokola, atakmite, and cobrit, which are found along the eastern side of  Wadi Araba from south of the Dead Sea to  Wadi Abu Khsheibah area. These minerals were discovered by Jordan in the 1950s in  Dana region and Wadi Araba. 
There is no precise estimate of Jordan's gold ore reserves in the regions where they are located, but it was mentioned in Jordan's list of minerals, the details of which were shared with the Energy Research Unit. In a report, it states that the gold metal is located in  Abu Khsheibah Valley area north of Aqaba in south Jordan. The Ministry of Energy also confirms that the Kingdom's territory contains gold minerals at the northern end of the Nubian Arab Shield south of Jordan. 
Two memorandums of understanding were signed by the Ministry in the last year: the first was was with the Jordanian Integrated Mining and Exploration Business for copper exploration in  Dana area, and the second was with the Turkish company Solvest for gold exploration in  Abu Khsheibah area. 
Captain Khaled Al-Shawabkeh, a geologist, told Al-Anbat that Manaseer had been given the copper file and was evaluating the rough copper economically. It has made significant progress in this area and is currently looking at its economic viability. ", noting that the company dug some tunnels and handled certain samples to acquire integrated information on the quantity and concentration of copper, this is inside the specified areas of "Wadi Arabah " "Wadi Abu Khsheibah". If it proves to be economically viable, it will move to the concession phase. 
Wadi Abu Khsheibah had been removed from Dana Reserve, he added and businesses were permitted to conduct copper exploration and search activities, although further exploration inside the area is doubtful. After all of these regions were placed under the jurisdiction of the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature, it became challenging to investigate them without the Society's consent, in which case 70 square meters were subtracted to let companies to do so. 
He stated that if the project's economic viability was established, the portion that had been eliminated in accordance with the Royal Society for the Protection of Nature would be started especially because there is no animals, plants, or other natural resources in the region. He further said that the business operates within a certain environmental framework that takes into account the preservation of the wildlife in the area and advised against installing large machinery on the property. 
Al-Shawabkeh went on to say that because the business had not determined its reserve It's too soon to tell, but it should be noted that the reserve for the entire regions has been calculated by seven international companies, specialists and foreign companies, as well as companies that have worked on prior copper studies in the regions. This requires drilling wells, spending and sampling, and working on a full site study. (Wadi Khalid, Wadi Radya, Wadi Abu Khsheibah, among others) and suggested that the region's copper reserves could total as much as $11 billion.) 
He stated that in all agreements a sum of 5% must be spent to develop the region in accordance with articles of the investment law and added that this was in addition to other returns such as creating jobs for the local population, building up the region's infrastructure and businesses, developing technology, and having the necessary expertise for large projects. 
The investment law is still being discussed in Parliament, according to Bilal Abu Zeid, the ministry of investment's media spokesman. He mentioned that copper is currently being studied rather than extracted. Because copper has a byproduct, manganese, a second element that adds to the state's revenue, the extraction process requires manufacturers to separate copper from any other raw materials or rock composition. 
Al-Shawabkeh stated that the most recent advancements in the gold file were sent to a Turkish business called Solvest, which had completed the first phase of the study and was currently working on the second phase of the area. Preliminary studies indicate that "Wadi Abu Khsheibah" is highly economically advantageous, which inspired her to embark on the second study. They did not compute the amount of gold that exists, but the southern regions may be far better than the rest of the globe. 
Ziad Al-Manaseer, Chief Director of the Integrated Company, stated that the company looks forward to collaborating and working with the Ministry of Energy to support the national economy and contribute to lowering unemployment rates and the employment of labor. He further stated that in light of the preliminary results of the regional copper centers, this crucial project is putting Jordan on the map of global mining investments, as seen by the specialized energy platform. 
Phosphate File 
Southern Jordan is home to the third-largest phosphate mineral resource in the world. According to official statistics, more than 4 million tons are shipped each year, accounting for 21% of the value of exports. According to the Minister of Energy Al Kharabsheh, new geological spaces have also revealed that about 3 thousand square kilometers are supplied by phosphates. He confirmed that Jordan was a developed country in the production and export of phosphates but noted that the exploration process had initially been problematic; most notably, the expansion of the area (3 thousand square kilometers), where it was divided into "Blocks," and the first stage was approximately 120 square kilometers. 
He continued, "58 wells covering 90 km2 of phase I had been drilled, of which 9 were drilled (Core), with a total length of more than 1,200 metres, averaged depths ranging from 25 to 35 meters." He also mentioned that the average thickness of the phosphate ore layer in the project area was 8 to 10 meters, with a crude concentration of P2O5 of about 24% and exceeding in some 35% wells, which is of high quality. 
The first geological reserve exceeds just 700 million metric tons in the first phase of the phosphate ore exploration project, according to the Ministry of Energy, which was completed in  Risha area south of Rweished. It will not permit the sale of phosphate from  Risha area in its raw form and will ensure that it fully utilizes its added value through manufacturing, according to Al Kharabsheh, who also demanded that some food and pharmaceutical industries rely on phosphate ore. 1,200 samples of detected phosphate ore had been taken and analysed, and it was proven that phosphate actually had b2o5 concentrations in them. Noting that 28 samples were taken, and it was discovered that they contained rare earth elements that are used in many of the modern industries as well as uranium component concentration ratios of 60 to 120 grams per ton. 
NPC's Metallurgical Studies Division's Mu'tasim Al-Hawamdeh said: "About 500 million tons of phosphate reserves have been discovered through drilling in the last three months. 700 million tons have been discovered in current drilling findings, together with good and promising amounts of uranium ores." 
Metal File in Jordan 
Rare minerals can be found in Jordan's subsoil. In order to promote its economic growth, Jordan must harvest and exploit some of its most valuable resources. The most significant applications for uranium, thorium, titanium, monazite, and zircon in energy efficiency and renewable energy. 
• Basalt 
One of the most well-known minerals in Jordan is basalt, which has abundant deposits and is a volcanic rock made of olefin, plagiokels, and peroxin minerals. The north-east, center, and south of the nation are rich in basalt. For instance, it is estimated that 310 tons of raw metal were discovered in  Tal Barma area, which is south of Jordan. 
• Pure limestone 
Jordan's limestone reserves are 1.33 billion tons, according to the Ministry of Energy, and pure limestone is largely located in southern Jordan. 
• Zircon 
Jordan has reserves of zircon up to 96 thousand metric tons, located 350 kilometers south of Amman, and 100 kilometers north-east of Aqaba. 
• Silica sand
Jordan's reserves of silica sands are more than 20.1 billion tons, to be among the list of huge minerals owned by Jordan, according to the Energy Research Unit of the Ministry of Energy. Silica sands are located in the areas of Ras al-Nakab, the bottom of al-Deessa and Petra Ein al-Beida, as well as in Wadi al-Sabaq, and al-Hbeishiya.
• Fladspar
Jordan has reserves of up to 138 million tons of Fildespar crude, according to the Department of Energy, which is located in the Wadi al-Hbeishiya area, as well as in Wadi al-Mahlaba and  al-Ghufran Mountain, north-east of Aqaba, and in Wadi Sadr al-Malkan, north of Aqaba. 
• Kaolin
Jordan's reserves amount to 11.94 billion tons - in the white ceramic and paint industry, in rubber, plastic, etc., and it is found in the areas of Batn al-Foul, al-Mdawwarra, al-Haswa, Um Saham, located in the city of Ma 'an. 
• Chalk
Jordan has chalk reserves of up to 5.83 billion tons and is located in the south-east of al-Azraq, eastern Sahara, and eastern Amman.
• Dolomite
Jordan has reserves of up to 162 million tons of dolomite, according to the Jordan Minerals List, which was seen by the Energy Research Unit. The dolomite is located in Wadi Assal and the modern Ghor west of Karak, as well as in Ra's Naqab north of Aqaba.
• Zeolites
Jordan's list of minerals shows that in 1998, the country began producing zeolite metal. The country consumes 400 thousand tons annually through cement plants. The Kingdom's reserves of zeolite are more than 2.03 billion tons and are found in several regions, most notably Mount Ariteen, north-east of al-Azraq, East Sahara, Al-Shahba, north-west of Badiya, and Al-Rammah, as well as central and southern Jordan.
• Rare Earth Minerals
Jordan stresses that its territory contains rare earth minerals in Wadi al-Mizrab area, but that it needs research and exploration, including uranium, thorium, titanium, monazite and zircon, and its most important uses for renewable energy and energy efficiency. 
In the same vein, the Ministry of Energy signed a memorandum of understanding with Tadhanoun Ownership and Enterprise, last April, which included the preparation of a mineral wealth map to promote investment opportunities in the country. The Ministry launched an online platform to facilitate the procedures of the investor's journey with mineral wealth in the country, by connecting the relevant authorities to reduce the time and burden needed to obtain the service when searching for minerals and dispensing with paper documents.
In turn, the economist Wajdi al-Makhamra said that Jordan has great mineral wealth some were exploited like potash and phosphate, while some were not exploited as copper. gold, basalt, etc., indicating that their optimal use will have a great resonance in the development of economic growth and attracting huge revenues for the Government, especially by attracting a strategic company to exploit resources and attracting modern technology for low-cost extraction, which will constitute a huge growth of the national economy in the coming years. 
Addressing the extraction of scarce mineral wealth such as shale, basalt, copper and silica sand is to be leveraged and attracted investment from countries with expertise in the sector, which will positively reflect on reducing unemployment rates with large mineral wealth exploitation enterprises, and enhance experience in attracting technology service in the Kingdom through attracting strategic partners and institutions. 
The mineral wealth sector is a very important sector for investment opportunities, stressing that it must be prioritized in attracting partners and investors locally or regionally and internationally, which will play a role in promoting economic growth and the investment climate.
The Kingdom recorded revenue in the mining sector of 1.55 billion dinars in the first 6 months of this year, while the sector contributes about 7.6% of GDP, and about 19% of the Kingdom's exports, according to the report of the specialized energy platform. 
It seeks to increase the contribution of the mining sector to the country's economic growth by increasing the sector's exports by 10.5% annually, to reach $5 billion by 2033, in order to increase the exports of the mining sector and make greater use of the country's mining wealth. The Government confirms that it is working on the establishment of central and transformative industry projects in the mining sector, with the launch of a financing program for the mining sector.
Economist Mazen Irshid stressed the importance of exploiting and using rich countries' mineral wealth not only for use. Instead, Jordan is rich in mineral wealth associated with phosphate and potash, which set unprecedented export records for the two items. Exploitation of agro-industries and fertilizers that bring food security to most of the world's countries, especially after the coronavirus pandemic and geopolitical crises.
Jordan is the sixth largest country in the world that owns a stock of shale, which is processed to convert to oil, and derivatives of various combustions, stating that the Kingdom does not exploit this for the difficulty of processing it and its high cost, in addition to the fact that the treatment method may be environmentally hazardous as a result of carbon emissions of shale burning.
Irashid stressed that it is possible to take other countries' experiences in the production and processing of shale, to take advantage of it as electricity generation, as well as the stock of shale is enough for more than 900 years to generate electricity, noting that the government should work to exploit this properly and attract investment to provide the extraction and processing of shale.
 
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