In the year 2022, Jordan's electricity consumption was predominantly from fossil sources, which accounted for more than three-quarters of the total mix, with natural gas alone providing nearly 73%. Clean energy sources, although still trailing behind, made up a significant portion, roughly 23% of the electricity mix, which is encouraging. Among the low-carbon sources, solar energy led the charge, representing over 15% of the total electricity, while wind energy contributed close to 8%. This demonstrates a promising move towards sustainable electricity sources, although fossil fuels still hold a considerable share.
Is Electricity Growing in Jordan?
Despite the potential for growth in Jordan's low-carbon electricity generation, the overall electricity consumption per person has seen a decline. In 2022, the electricity consumption stood at 2,011 kWh per person, which is 265 kWh lower than the peak recorded in 2012. However, it's worth noting that the clean electricity component has seen an increase, reaching 464 kWh per person in 2022, marking a positive change of 20 kWh from the previous record in 2021. While the overall electricity use is down, it is encouraging to see that the clean energy segment is growing.
Suggestions
To further increase low-carbon electricity generation, Jordan can capitalize on its proven successes in solar energy expansion, given its existing infrastructure and the favorable climate for solar power. Learning from countries such as Lebanon, which generates a substantial 31% of its electricity from solar, could hasten Jordan's transition. Additionally, looking at countries with a robust wind energy presence, like Denmark where wind accounts for 52% of electricity, Jordan could also aim to bolster its wind energy share. While Jordan is different from these countries, their strategies for clean energy deployment offer valuable insights.
History
Reflecting on the history of Jordan's low-carbon electricity generation, the significant advancements have mostly occurred in the last decade. Starting with a modest entry into wind and solar energy in 2015, consistently notable growth continued yearly. The years 2016 and 2018 were particularly fruitful, with both wind and solar seeing substantial increases, including 0.3 TWh in wind in 2016 and 0.5 TWh in solar in 2017, followed by similar increases the next years. The continuous investment in solar energy, with a peak increase of 0.8 TWh in 2021, highlights Jordan's commitment to green energy. This gradual but steady increase emphasizes the progressive diversification of Jordan's electricity sources into low-carbon options.
Electrification
We estimate the degree of electrification by comparing electricity and total energy emissions. More about methodology.