Amman — As Jordan moves to expand renewable energy and storage projects and capitalize on its potential in green hydrogen and minerals, while strengthening regional electricity interconnections, the energy and mining sectors are emerging as the leading investment opportunities to be presented at the Jordan-European Investment Conference.
The value of the investment opportunities to be presented at the conference is approaching $15 billion, spread across 15 sectors and subsectors. Energy and mining account for the largest share, at around $7.1 billion, covering projects in gas, hydropower, wind energy, green hydrogen, battery energy storage, solar power, as well as rare earth elements, silica sand and basalt.
The Jordan-European Investment Conference is scheduled to take place in Amman on November 19, following the launch of the initiative during the Royal visit to Brussels early last year to sign the Strategic Partnership Agreement between Jordan and the European Union for 2025-2027.
Among the key investment opportunities in the energy sector is a project in Mafraq Governorate to develop a 100-megawatt wind power plant under a build-own-operate (BOO) model. The project would be connected to the national grid, with the electricity sold to the National Electric Power Company under a power purchase agreement.
The opportunities also include an integrated solar power and energy storage project in Mafraq, comprising a 200-megawatt solar plant and a 100-megawatt battery system with four hours of storage capacity. Under the BOO model, a private investor would finance, develop, own and operate the project, while the National Electric Power Company would serve as the main commercial partner.
The project aims to integrate power generation and storage within a single system, including an energy management and control system, strengthening grid reliability and its ability to accommodate additional renewable energy. Renewable sources increased their share of Jordan’s electricity mix 54-fold between 2014 and 2024.
Omar Abu Eid, Energy and Environment Program Manager at the European Union Delegation to Jordan, said the next phase would focus on strategic plans and projects put forward by the government, particularly those related to the green transformation of the energy sector, including new renewable energy and storage projects.
He said the main projects include adding around 200 megawatts of solar power, 100 megawatts of wind power and 100 megawatts of battery energy storage, in addition to hydropower storage projects, including a proposed project using water bodies for energy storage.
Abu Eid noted that regional interconnection would be another key priority, given Jordan’s proposed electricity projects with Egypt, Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. He stressed that the kingdom’s geographical and political position qualifies it to play a central role as a regional energy interconnection hub.
He said the transformation of the energy sector would also create new opportunities in storage and mining, particularly through minerals and raw materials that could support energy-storage industries. Other resources, such as silica, could also play a role, as silica is a key material in glass manufacturing and could eventually support the establishment of solar panel assembly or manufacturing facilities in Jordan.
Abu Eid said the green transformation of the energy sector cannot be separated from integration with other economic sectors, particularly water, transport and waste management. Energy projects needed for water desalination, the national transport project and other related initiatives form part of an integrated economic and green transition.
He also highlighted green hydrogen as an important opportunity because of its links with other sectors, particularly water through desalination projects. Green hydrogen could also be used in fertilizer industries through the production of green ammonia, strengthening supply security across other sectors through the energy sector.
He emphasized the importance of investment-ready projects, known as “Ready Projects,” being developed in transport, water and wastewater reuse. Such projects are directly linked to energy-sector needs and provide additional opportunities for investment and public-private partnerships.
Abu Eid also pointed to the growing role of energy in supporting the information technology sector and digital transformation, particularly as Jordan seeks to attract more investment in data centers, which require large and reliable supplies of electricity. The availability of energy and related infrastructure therefore represents an additional factor in attracting investment to the sector.
“These priorities largely fall within the strategic pillars of the amended Energy Sector Strategy for 2025-2035,” Abu Eid said, noting that the European Union participated in reviewing the strategy through a technical team and supported the Ministry of Energy and the government in aligning it with the objectives of the Economic Modernization Vision through 2033.
On financing, Abu Eid said the Strategic and Comprehensive Partnership Agreement between Jordan and the European Union, signed in January 2025, includes measures to attract private-sector investment to Jordan in areas including energy, water, digital transformation and other priority sectors.
He said the agreement has a total value of around €3 billion, with at least €1.4 billion potentially available through its various mechanisms. He stressed that the funding is not allocated exclusively to the energy sector but targets a range of priority sectors.
Financing mechanisms may include blended finance, combining grants and loans from different financing institutions, as well as grants supporting major projects and facilities and guarantees for the private sector aimed at reducing risks and encouraging investors to participate in strategic projects in Jordan and the region.
Ahmad Awad, founder and director of the Phenix Center for Economic and Informatics Studies, said investment in the energy sector, particularly renewable energy, represents an important opportunity for Jordan to strengthen its economic security and expand its productive capacity.
He said the Jordan-European Investment Conference could advance this process through partnerships combining financing, technology and expertise.
Greater reliance on locally available renewable sources could reduce Jordan’s exposure to fluctuations in fuel prices and supply disruptions, Awad said, while stressing that expanding power generation should be accompanied by investment in electricity storage and grid modernization to ensure that production can be absorbed and used efficiently during different periods of demand.
Awad also highlighted the importance of such investments in strengthening water security by providing the energy required for desalination, pumping and treatment, while improving operational efficiency, developing water networks and reducing losses.
Economically, he said a more stable and competitively priced energy supply could support the expansion of industry, agriculture and services and improve the ability of small and medium-sized enterprises to produce and compete.
He added that the expansion of renewable energy would create employment opportunities in installation, operation and maintenance, engineering services, grid management and equipment recycling. He called for projects to be linked to the development of local suppliers, knowledge transfer and training programs that lead to actual employment opportunities, while expanding the participation of women and young people and distributing opportunities across Jordan’s governorates.
Mohammad Al-Samadi, chairman of the European Chamber of Commerce in Jordan, said the Jordan-European Investment Conference represents an important opportunity to bring companies, investors, financial institutions and policymakers together around specific projects.
He stressed that the success of the conference should not be measured solely by the number of participants or meetings, but by the investments and partnerships that emerge afterward.
“The conference represents a starting point, while the real importance lies in the post-conference phase, through following up with investors and projects, removing obstacles and turning European interest in Jordan into projects that can be implemented on the ground,” Al-Samadi said.
He added that the energy sector is among the most promising areas through which Jordan can offer high-quality investment opportunities, particularly given its potential in solar and wind energy and the development of storage, hydrogen and green ammonia.
Al-Samadi stressed that the conference’s importance lies in moving from presenting general capabilities and opportunities to offering clear projects that are ready for investment and implementation. European investors, he said, are looking for projects with clear economic models, a stable regulatory environment, streamlined procedures and access to financing and markets.
Green hydrogen and its derivatives, particularly green ammonia, represent an important medium- and long-term opportunity, he said, especially through integrated projects in Aqaba combining renewable energy generation, water desalination, hydrogen and ammonia production, storage, logistics services and exports.
Al-Samadi said the partnership with the European Union is particularly important in this field given Europe’s leading companies, expertise, advanced technology and financial institutions, alongside Jordan’s strong solar and wind resources, strategic location and skilled workforce. This combination could enable Jordan to serve as a link between Europe and regional markets.
He noted a clear alignment between Jordanian and European priorities in clean-energy transition, green hydrogen, energy efficiency, grid development, electricity interconnections and clean technologies, providing a strong foundation for long-term investment partnerships between Jordanian and European private-sector companies.
He stressed that cooperation between the government and private sector will be essential to achieving these objectives, with the government responsible for creating the necessary regulatory, investment and infrastructure environment, while the private sector develops projects, builds partnerships and gains access to investors and markets.
