Al-Qatrana
Power Plant
IPP2

Civil Works for Jordan's
Energy Infrastructure

The Al-Qatrana Independent Power Plant (IPP2) is one of Jordan's key utility-scale power generation facilities — a combined-cycle power plant located in the governorate of Karak, in Jordan's central-southern desert region. The project was developed as an independent power producer (IPP) project — a private-sector financed power generation facility operating under a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO), Jordan's national electricity transmission company.

CEC was engaged to deliver the civil and structural construction works — the physical infrastructure that enables the plant's turbines, generators, heat recovery systems, cooling systems, and auxiliary equipment to be installed, commissioned, and operated over a long service life.

Power plant civil works in Jordan's desert environment present specific engineering challenges: extreme summer temperatures exceeding 40°C require careful concrete placement management; remote desert locations require careful logistics and supply chain planning; and the high-consequence nature of power generation infrastructure demands exceptional quality management throughout the construction programme.

Civil Works Scope

CEC's civil works scope on the Al-Qatrana Power Plant encompassed the full range of structural civil works required to support the plant's generation equipment and operational systems:

• Turbine and generator building structures — Heavy reinforced concrete structural frames and slabs capable of supporting the dynamic loads from large-scale generation equipment.
• Foundation engineering — Deep foundation systems for major equipment, designed to manage vibration, thermal, and operational loading over the plant's 20-year design life.
• Cooling system civil works — Civil structures for the cooling tower system, including cooling tower basins, pump stations, and pipe supports.
• Fuel and utilities infrastructure — Civil works for fuel storage and handling systems, transformer bunds, cable ducting, and site drainage.
• Control and administration buildings — Reinforced concrete and structural steel buildings housing the plant's control room, electrical switchgear, and administrative functions.
• Site infrastructure — Access roads, security perimeter, site drainage, cable trenches, and all external works within the plant boundary.

Remote Desert Construction Management

Al-Qatrana's remote location in Jordan's desert interior created specific site management challenges — notably supply chain logistics for materials, workforce accommodation and welfare, and concrete quality management in extreme summer temperatures. CEC's site management team implemented pre-chilled mix water, ice addition to concrete mixes, and restricted poring hours during the hottest months — maintaining consistent concrete quality throughout the construction programme despite ambient temperatures regularly exceeding 40°C.

Significance for Jordan's Energy Sector

Al-Qatrana IPP2, along with East Amman IPP4 and other independent power projects in Jordan, represents the country's significant investment in utility-scale power generation capacity. CEC's track record across three power plant projects — IPP2, IPP4, and Al-Samra — makes CEC one of the most experienced power plant civil contractors in Jordan, with demonstrated capability to meet the quality, schedule, and technical requirements of utility-scale energy projects.