The Jordanian government has announced plans to set up what would be the country’s 1st solar cell factory to come online by the end of 2023, according to local media reports. The JD 100 million ($140 million) investment was revealed during the ‘A year on Modernization’ forum held recently.  

The proposed fab will be located in the southeast of the Queen Alia International Airport in Amman region on 130 dunum or thousand m2. Classified as a semiconductor industrial project, it will generate about 520 jobs.  

However, no other details about the annual capacity of the fab, the cell technology to be used are known as yet. It will be a Jordanian investment, according to the reports.  

The move is aimed at growing Jordan’s domestic solar manufacturing capabilities as it increases the role of renewable energies in the power mix to reach 31% by 2030, up from 27% in 2022.  

However, Jordan’s Energy Minister Dr. Saleh Al-Kharabsheh was earlier reported to have said the government was updating the strategic plan to further raise renewables share, possibly to 50%.