The Jordanian government announced launch of the region’s first utility-scale wind power plant, the 117MW Tafila wind farm project to displace 235,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions annually, reported Trade Arabia.

The project was developed by the Jordan Wind Project Company (JWPC), an international coalition that includes InfraMed Infrastructure Fund (France), Masdar (UAE), and EP Global Energy (Cyprus).

The wind power plant is directly connected to the national grid and will produce 400GW/h of electricity annually.

According to PR Newswire, the Tafila Wind Farm was developed in response to the 2010 renewable energy law, calling for around 10% of electricity to come from renewable sources by 2020. Jordan imports around 96% of its energy needs at a cost equivalent to 20% of the country’s GDP.

JWPC Chairman, Samer Judeh, explained: “Tafila Wind Farm will contribute towards achieving energy security.

The project is a quantum leap not only for Jordan but the Arab world as a whole, as it is the first to implement an effective solution for Jordan’s energy challenges through a partnership between the public and private sectors.”

He added that the project would stimulate renewable investments in the region.