During the period between 2008 and 2014 the water sector in Jordan has achieved substantial electricity and carbon savings, creating numerous energy efficiency opportunities. This has been possible with the active support of the German Corporation for International Cooperation organization, known as GIZ – Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit. With a broad focus on social and economic development, GIZ has been promoting the adoption of climate change mitigation and adaptation measures in several countries.

In Jordan, the focal area for German development cooperation is the support of the water sector. Primarily commissioned by the German Federal Ministry for Cooperation and Development, GIZ has been active for nearly 40 years in Jordan. Today it is implementing about 20 bilateral and regional programs and projects in the areas of Water and water resource management, Environment and climate change, Good governance, Micro-finance and Support for Palestinian refugees. In addition to short-term measures to relieve the crisis situation due to the refugee influx, GIZ is engaged in the sustainable improvement of Jordan’s water sector. In the medium-term, the aim is to establish the approach of integrated water resources management.

Improving energy efficiency is crucial to reduce energy consumption and contribute to climate change mitigation. The water sector in Jordan consumes 14% of the generated electricity (approximately 2000 GWh/year). GIZ and the Water Authority of Jordan started surveying various pumping stations and assessing which were the key processes where energy efficiency measures could take place, identifying the energy saving potential in the country. This exercise revealed that the annual energy saving potential from a study of 25 pumping facilities would be 42 GWh/year, which means a 33.5% reduction, equivalent to 3.3 million Euro – based on 2013 electricity tariffs. The power saved will further result in reducing CO2 emissions by 30,637 ton/year.

HE Tawfiq Habashneh, Secretary General of Water Authority of Jordan, said: “Working on energy efficiency in water pumping provided great opportunities to improve efficiency, carbon footprint, and reduced the cost of the operations. Indeed energy performance contracting provides a platform for sound cooperation with the private sector and allows us to improve pumping efficiency effectively. We are heading in applying energy efficiency measures in other stations and we will partner with the private sector where possible”  

Two projects have been piloted. The first in Beqourieh (in Balqa) engaged the Water Authority and Wilo SE, a German manufacturer of pumps and pumping systems. This pilot resulted mainly in building awareness about the energy efficiency potential and involving the private sector in energy management of water pumping applying the Energy Performance Contracting model – EPC. The activity originated a 33.5% reduction in specific energy consumption; saving 1.5 GWh and 1100 tons of CO2 annually. The second pilot applied EPC by engaging Engicon, a local engineering firm, in investing in retrofitting and operating the Wala and Lib pumping stations with Wilo SE supplying the pumps. This resulted in culturing a new business model with private and public entities. The expected savings are 3.6 GWh/year, equivalent to 300,000 Euro per year and 2500 tons of CO2. As a consequence of the Improving Energy Efficiency project, water utilities started tendering other pumping stations for retrofitting, some of which will be applying the EPC model.

Contact

• Daniel Busche: busche@giz.de
• Bassam Hayek: hayek@giz.de

As a federal enterprise, GIZ supports the German Government in achieving its objectives in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development. GIZ operates in various fields: economic development and employment promotion; governance and democracy; security, reconstruction, peacebuilding and civil conflict transformation; food security, health and basic education; and environmental protection, resource conservation and climate change mitigation. GIZ operates throughout Germany and in more than 130 countries worldwide with more than 17,000 staff around the globe.