GAM seeks to increase EV charging stations nationwide

VOLKSWAGEN ELECTRIC OUTLOOK (1)
(File photo: Jordan News)
AMMAN — The Greater Amman Municipality (GAM) wants to increase electric vehicle (EV) charging stations across the country, as part of its strategic plan for the years2022–2026. اضافة اعلان

The JD2.5 million plan will be executed, if funding is made available by the Ministry of Transport, in partnership with the ministries of environment, energy and mineral resources and the Jordan Electric Power Company (JEPC).

Hanna Al-Zaghloul, CEO of Kawar Energy, a company which specializes in renewable energy, told Jordan News that the planned expansion of electric charging stations was a “step in the right direction”.

“Countries around the world are already halting the production of vehicles that run on gas and diesel”, he explained. He praised the GAM’s plan, saying “I especially appreciated that this plan also targets the private sector, not just the public sector.”

He said homeowners will be “more tempted to install renewable energy systems, such as solar-powered systems to use for their electric vehicles, and the remaining collected power can go for household use.”
The transportation sector is the second most greenhouse emission-producing sector in Jordan
The plan refers to recycling electric cars’ batteries. Zaghloul said: “This is a very important plan of action. Car batteries aren’t completely depleted when they’re replaced, the healthy battery cells can be reused for lots of other battery powered items”, he said.

“Also, the materials that the batteries are made of should be recycled as they aren’t biodegradable, otherwise they’ll have a very bad impact on the environment,” he pointed out. “A program for recycling should be developed for batteries, after careful revision of certain places those recycling plants can operate in.”

In terms of how pollution would be reduced if this plan receives its funding and gets off the ground, chairman of the Jordan Environmental Union Omar Al-Shoshan said: “As a matter of principle, this is an inevitable and necessary move.”

“The transportation sector is the second most greenhouse emission-producing sector in Jordan,” he explained.

“The government must build proper infrastructure by allowing investments through the private sector to build electric vehicle charging stations, using renewable energy,” he said. “It must also create incentives for individuals and organizations to switch to electric vehicles to achieve environmental justice.”

Shoshan said the GAM’s plan “has great potential for a greener public transportation system in Amman and its suburbs through relying on renewable energy, when it comes to projects such as the newly implemented bus rapid transit system”.

“A significant reduction in harmful emissions and pollutions would be achieved,” he emphasized.


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