AMMAN — The
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees(UNHCR) in Jordan has announced that the Zaatari and Azraq refugee camps for
Syrians will rely almost exclusively on sustainable energy by the end of 2024.
According to recent data from the UN agency, 97 percent of the electricity
needs in both camps are met through solar energy.
اضافة اعلان
Solar power stations in the camps cover 60 to 70 percent of
the electricity requirements, with the remaining 30 percent cost being covered
by the
national grid relying on carbon-based power stations. The UNHCR spoke of
an agreement allowing the transfer of green energy from a 46-megawatt
solar power station in southern Jordan to the Zaatari and Azraq refugee camps.
Additionally, power generated from two solar power stations within the camps
contributes to this initiative, Al-Mamlaka TV reported.
The near-exclusive reliance on sustainable energy
significantly reduces carbon emissions, aligning with the UNHCR's global
commitments. In 2016, the Azraq camp became the world's first refugee camp to
be supplied with renewable energy, boasting a 2-megawatt solar power station.
In 2017, the Zaatari camp, home to 84,314 refugees, inaugurated the largest
solar power project of its kind in any refugee camp worldwide.
The solar power generation station in Zaatari, costing $17.5
million to build, operates at 12.9 megawatts and provides an annual saving of
$5.5 million. The UNHCR will cover operational expenses, maintenance costs, and
the replacement of renewable energy produced in southern Jordan, expecting a
reduction in its energy expenditure by 2024.
Jordan has hosted 55,426 registered Iraqi refugees and over
1.3 million Syrians since the start of the Syrian crisis in 2011. This includes
649,091 registered Syrian refugees with the UNHCR. The UNHCR states that
723,886 registered refugees from all nationalities, excluding Palestinian
refugees under UNRWA, were accounted for until the end of last year.
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