The Center forRenewable energy at the Hashemite University hosted a group of researchers, experts, and employees from different companies of Energy and Renewable Energy in the Middle East and North Africa, as a part of a training project of the energy transformation of the Netherlands Institute for the international relationships, Clingendael, Netherlands.

The participants represented a group of Arab and regional countries, such as: Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Palestine, Oman, and Iran. The delegation listened to a lecture by the head of the Renewable Energy Center at the Hashemite University; Dr.Firas Al-Asali, and then visited theSolar powerPlant, and the water desalination station.

The head of the renewable Energy Centre Dr.Firas Al-Asali, presented a short overview about the solar energy project at the university, including its forms, explaining that the solar energy plant consists of 4 Megawatts, and a shaded crosswalk for the students, with 1 megawatt, designed in a geometrical way which fits with the students’ needs, in addition to the final part, the car sheds. Also, he discussed the improvements made for these projects to keep sustainability,and to increase production capacity.

Dr. Al-Asali, talked about the construction of  smart systems for the university’s buildings, to achieve the goal of energy conservation and monitoring the consumed electric energy, as to reach the perfect level of energy consumption, and to provide the data related to the electric load of the buildings and the production of renewable energy systems at the university, in addition to having other related dataaccurately to help with research projects, and to assist the staffworking  in these projects, including faculty staff and the ones who are interested in this field. He said that the university depends completely (100%) on renewable energy, he added that the energy bill of the university is still (0) despite the huge expansion of buildings.

He refers to the Central Water Desalination Station which operates within advanced specifications, to desalinate the water of the salty wells of the university, and it relieson the solar energy to function.

Mr. Casper Wanders ,a Clingendael institute fellow,  states that, “ what we have seen during this visit to the Hashemite university regarding the renewable energy  plant and the water desalination stationwas very amazing.” He added that, “we have seen how the university changed into a creative institution in the field of renewable energy, and how this project is crucial for the university and its students through providing training opportunities, and we hope to increase the cooperation between the two parties and to transfer this entrepreneurial experience to the different Arab and regional institutions in the middle east”.

Mr. Ibrahim Al-Zaidi from OQ for the Renewable Energy in Oman, said that they have benefited a lot from this different experiencewhich the Hashemite University has implemented, especially the multiple patterns of the solar energy project.

Mrs. Hajer Sherahin, form the Ministry of Formation and Professional Education, said that her visit to the Hashemite University was justwonderful, as she was impressed how the university achieved through its projects ‘self-sufficiency’  in energy and water, she added that shehopes that they can benefit from tis enriching experience and applying it in the Algerian institutions.