Renewable Energy
EPC Projects
in Jordan

Jordan's Renewable Energy Market — Context and Scale

Jordan has emerged as one of the Middle East and North Africa region's most significant renewable energy markets over the past decade — driven by a combination of economic necessity, exceptional natural resources, and clear policy commitment.

The economic driver is stark: Jordan historically imported 97% of its energy needs as fossil fuels from neighbours, at significant cost to the national trade balance. The transition to domestically-generated renewable electricity has materially improved energy security and reduced the import burden.

The resource driver is equally clear: Jordan's sun-belt location gives it among the highest solar irradiance readings in the world — with 300+ sunshine days per year and global horizontal irradiance (GHI) averaging over 2,000 kWh/m²/year across most of the country. Wind resources in the northern highlands (Tafila, Mafraq) and at elevation sites routinely exceed 7 m/s annual average — excellent for wind energy economics.

The policy driver has been Jordan's successive National Energy Strategies, targeting 31% renewable electricity generation by 2030. By 2025, the country had already installed over 2,000 MW of solar and wind capacity, well ahead of regional peers on a per-capita basis.

What Is EPC in the Context of Energy Projects?

EPC stands for Engineering, Procurement, and Construction — the dominant project delivery model for utility-scale energy projects in Jordan and globally. Under an EPC contract, a single contractor (or consortium) is responsible for:

• Engineering: Detailed design of all project elements, from turbine or module layout through civil structures, electrical systems, and grid connection.
• Procurement: Sourcing and purchasing all materials, equipment, and specialist services required for the project.
• Construction: Building the project from ground clearance through to commissioning and performance testing.

The EPC structure gives project owners a single point of accountability — the EPC contractor is responsible for the complete project delivery, including all coordination between its engineering, procurement, and construction activities. For project financiers (banks and equity investors), this accountability structure is important for managing construction risk in their project finance assessment.

In Jordan's energy market, international EPC contractors typically lead the EPC contract for major renewable energy projects. These international contractors then engage local civil engineering subcontractors to deliver the civil and structural works component — the portion of the EPC scope that requires local knowledge, local relationships with authorities, and on-ground construction management capability.

Civil Works in Renewable Energy EPC Projects

Civil works are a significant component of every utility-scale renewable energy project. The proportion varies by technology — typically 15–25% of total EPC value for a solar PV project, 10–20% for wind, and 20–35% for conventional power plant projects — but in all cases, the civil works are on the critical path: if civil works are delayed, the entire EPC programme is delayed, costing the developer in financing costs and lost revenue.

Solar PV Farm Civil Works

Utility-scale solar farms in Jordan — typically ranging from 20 MW to 200+ MW — require the following civil works scope:

• Site preparation and grading: Clearing vegetation, removing topsoil, grading the site to slope specifications suitable for drainage and module row alignment, and stockpiling topsoil for reinstatement.
• Internal access roads: Compacted gravel or paved access roads providing vehicle access to all parts of the site — for construction, operations, and maintenance.
• Cable trenching: Excavating and backfilling cable trenches connecting strings of solar modules to combiner boxes and thence to the inverter stations. Cable trench networks on a 100 MW solar farm can total 50+ km.
• Pile installation: Most solar tracker systems (single-axis trackers are increasingly standard in Jordan) are mounted on driven steel piles. The civil contractor drives thousands of piles to the correct embedment depth and inclination across the site.
• Inverter and transformer foundations: Reinforced concrete pads for string inverters, central inverters, and power transformers.
• Substation civil works: The complete civil and structural works package for the site's HV substation — including control building, transformer bunds, cable ducting, earthing, and security perimeter.
• Security fence: Perimeter security fencing typically 2.5m high, with gates and access control infrastructure.

Wind Farm Civil Works

Jordan's wind farms — concentrated in the Tafila and Mafraq governorates — require a different civil works programme:

• Turbine foundations: Large-diameter reinforced concrete octagonal or circular foundations, typically 15–20m diameter and 3–4m deep, designed as gravity bases or piled foundations depending on ground conditions. The structural engineering of turbine foundations must account for the dynamic loading from wind turbine operation — including fatigue loading over a 25-year design life.
• Internal roads: The site access road network connecting all turbine locations must be engineered for the heavy transport vehicles (up to 500-tonne loads) needed to deliver turbine components. Road design in Jordan's mountain terrain often involves significant earthworks, retaining structures, and surface strengthening.
• Cable trenching: Underground MV cable circuits connecting turbines to the site substation.
• Substation works: As per solar projects.
• Met mast foundations: Concrete foundations for meteorological monitoring masts used during construction and operations.

Conventional Power Plant Civil Works

Jordan's existing conventional power generation fleet — including plants at Al-Qatrana, East Amman, and Al-Samra (all of which CEC has worked on) — requires more substantial civil works than renewable projects. Turbine building structures, cooling tower bases, fuel handling infrastructure, administration buildings, and extensive site utilities all represent significant civil construction scope. CEC's track record across three major power plant projects in Jordan provides direct evidence of our capability in this category.

Jordan's Energy EPC Procurement Landscape

Energy projects in Jordan are procured through several channels, each with distinct qualification requirements:

Government-Procured IPP Projects

Jordan's independent power producer (IPP) programme — managed by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) and the Electricity Regulatory Commission (ERC) — procures private-sector power generation through competitive tender. Winning developers are typically international energy companies or project developers who then enter into Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) with the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO). These developers subsequently run their own EPC tender process to select their construction contractor.

Renewable Energy Zone (REZ) Projects

Jordan has designated specific areas as Renewable Energy Zones where solar and wind projects are developed under a streamlined permitting regime. Projects in these zones follow established processes for grid connection, environmental assessment, and land access.

Corporate PPA and Behind-the-Meter Projects

A growing segment of Jordan's renewable market involves corporate buyers (hotels, factories, universities) directly contracting solar or wind generation capacity to reduce their electricity costs. These smaller projects often follow simpler procurement processes but still require qualified EPC contractors meeting MEMR licensing requirements.

First Grade Classification for Energy Projects

Jordan's contractor classification system — administered by MoPWH — includes a dedicated Renewable Energy Works category in which First Grade is the highest designation. For government-procured energy projects, First Grade classification in Renewable Energy Works may be a mandatory qualification criterion. For private-sector energy projects, classification provides assurance of contractor capability to the project developer and its financing banks.

CEC holds First Grade classification in Renewable Energy Works — as well as in Electromechanical Works (relevant for substation and auxiliary systems) and Building Works (relevant for control buildings and administrative structures). This breadth of classification means CEC can deliver the civil component of an EPC project without creating any qualification gaps across the different work categories involved.

How CEC Partners with International EPC Contractors

For international EPC contractors entering Jordan's energy market, a reliable local civil partner provides capabilities and advantages that are difficult to replicate from overseas:

• Authority relationships: Established working relationships with MEMR, NEPCO, ERC, MoPWH, and local municipalities — reducing the time and uncertainty associated with permits, grid connection agreements, and right-of-way negotiations.
• Local supply chain: Established relationships with local suppliers of concrete, aggregate, sand, rebar, and general construction materials — as well as local equipment rental providers and specialist subcontractors.
• First Grade certification: Satisfying mandatory qualification requirements for energy sector procurement.
• Experienced site teams: Construction managers and site engineers who have delivered energy infrastructure projects in Jordan's specific climate, terrain, and regulatory environment.
• Financial standing: Capacity to provide performance bonds and advance payment guarantees to the required value.

CEC's role in Jordan's energy sector — demonstrated through Al-Qatrana IPP2, East Amman IPP4, and Al-Samra Power Plant — positions the company as a natural civil works partner for international EPC contractors working on Jordan's growing renewable energy pipeline. Learn more about CEC's renewable energy construction services.