China27 September, 20262 min read
Jordan’s Energy Minister Saleh Al-Kharabsheh Says China Is Key Partner for Smart Grids
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Jordan views China as an important strategic partner to modernize its energy sector. China's expertise in renewable energy, storage, and smart grids underpins collaboration.
5 outlets told this the same way.
MoU for grid modernization
Jordanian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Saleh Al-Kharabsheh said Jordan sees China as an important partner in efforts to modernize the energy sector, citing China’s expertise in renewable energy, energy storage and smart grids. Al-Kharabsheh said he accompanied Jordan’s King Abdullah II during his visit to China in August and that the trip offered an opportunity to see China’s advances in technology, innovation and the energy sector, particularly in renewable energy, energy storage and smart grids. Al-Kharabsheh said Jordan’s signing of a memorandum of understanding with China’s National Energy Administration was an important step toward moving bilateral relations from general cooperation to more practical prospects.
Al-Kharabsheh said the memorandum covers cooperation for national electricity grid modernization, energy storage, renewable energy, green hydrogen and green ammonia, and an integrated system of clean energy-related industries and services. Al-Kharabsheh said Jordan’s new energy strategy focuses on developing and modernizing the energy sector, increasing the share of renewable energy, and upgrading the electricity grid with battery storage technologies and artificial intelligence.
Technology transfer and jobs
Al-Kharabsheh said cooperation with China can help attract high-quality investment to Jordan, develop new projects, create jobs, and strengthen energy and mining industries and services, thereby increasing local added value and enhancing the competitiveness of the Jordanian economy. Al-Kharabsheh said Chinese expertise and technology can help improve energy efficiency, reduce losses, with positive effects on sectors including water, industry and transportation. Al-Kharabsheh said Jordan wants partnerships that extend beyond project execution toward knowledge transfer, development of Jordanian competencies, and localization of technology.
Al-Kharabsheh said Jordan is keen to move beyond importing equipment and solutions to developing national capabilities for operation, maintenance, modernization, and innovation. Al-Kharabsheh said Jordanian-Chinese energy cooperation is not limited to meeting Jordan’s energy needs, and it can serve as a driver of economic development and an opportunity to strengthen Jordan’s role as a regional hub for green energy and related services and technologies.
AI, training, and next phase
Al-Kharabsheh said Jordan wants to build on cooperation by establishing research centers and joint cooperation programs in artificial intelligence, data management, smart grids, and energy storage. Al-Kharabsheh said Jordan also wants training and qualification programs for Jordanian engineers and technicians in collaboration with specialized Chinese institutions and companies. Al-Kharabsheh said Jordan is exploring opportunities to establish regional industries and centers in Jordan that serve regional markets.
Al-Kharabsheh said developing local energy sources, expanding renewable energy, introducing storage systems, modernizing the electrical grid, and leveraging the kingdom’s natural and mineral resources all contribute to strengthening the resilience of the energy system and reducing the economy’s exposure to external fluctuations. Al-Kharabsheh said he expressed confidence that the Jordanian-Chinese energy partnership can serve as a model for cooperation based on investment, technology transfer, capacity building, and mutual value creation, laying the groundwork for a new, more ambitious phase in Jordanian-Chinese relations.