SunEdison, a leading global solar technology manufacturer and provider of solar energy services, has announced plans to set up one of the largest solar power plants in the Ma'an Governate, Jordan.

The US-based company has closed a $50-million debt financing arrangement with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Overseas Private Investment Corporation (Opic) in this regard.

The construction of the 23.8 megawatt (MW) DC solar power plant will begin in the coming months and the interconnection is expected to take place in third quarter of 2015, said a statement from the company.

The project will cover a 50-hectare area and feature SunEdison 330 monocrystalline modules and the AP90 Single Axis tracker. On an annual basis, the system is expected to generate 57,000 megawatt hours (MWH) of electricity, saving the emission of 35,000 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2), it added.

SunEdison said on completion, the solar photovoltaic (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, it stated.

Jose Perez, the president of SunEdison for Europe, Middle East, Africa and Latin America, said: "This project is a new proof point of SunEdison's capacity to develop innovative energy solutions matching government requirements in record time."

"Our wide expertise together with the partnership with world-class partners, such as Opic and EBRD, have been crucial for this achievement," he added.

Al Dahya, the general manager of SunEdison for Mena and Turkey, pointed out that the project would be critical for Jordan to increase its renewable energy capacity and 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. This project represents just the beginning of SunEdison's long-term commitment to the development of the clean energy in the region," he noted.

Nandita Parshad, the director for power and energy at EBRD, said: "We are delighted to finance the EBRD's first renewable project in Jordan and the Southern and Eastern Mediterranean. This is a region with a rapidly growing demand for power but also with a large potential for the development of renewables."

"Jordan in particular is a country where solar energy can make a clean and reliable contribution to meeting rising demand and reducing dependence on expensive hydrocarbons," he added.-TradeArabia News Service