A man walks past the newly-installed solar panels on the inauguration day of a solar power plant at Zaatari refugee camp, some 70 kilometers north of Amman, capital of Jordan, on Nov. 13, 2017. Jordan on Monday launched the solar power plant in the Zaatari camp for Syrian refugees, which is considered the world's largest to be located in a camp for refugees, the UNHCR said Monday. (Xinhua/Mohammad Abu Ghosh)
AMMAN, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- Jordan on Monday launched a solar power plant in the Zaatari camp for Syrian refugees, which is considered the world's largest to be located in a camp for refugees, the UNHCR said Monday.
The UN refugees agency said the 12.9 megawatts solar plant aims to bring affordable and sustainable energy to around 80,000 Syrian refugees and the host community.
The 15-million-euro project, which is funded by the government of Germany through the KfW Development Bank, will be the largest ever solar plant built in a refugee camp worldwide, a statement by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said.
The construction of the solar plant saw the participation of many refugees from the camp.
The agency said the plant will allow the UNHCR to provide more hours of electricity to refugees' homes.
The project is part of Jordan's efforts to increase reliance on renewable energy, said the agency, adding it will save around 5.5 million U.S. dollars which can be re-invested in support for refugees.
Jordan, which imports 97 percent of its energy needs, is working on a strategy to increase the contribution of renewable energy in the overall energy mix to 10 percent by 2020.
