Prospects of Hydropower Utilization for Electricity Generation in Jordan

Prospects of hydropower utilization as a renewable energy source for electricity generation in Jordan are assessed. A hydroelectric power system is proposed for generating electricity by exploiting the resulted hydropower (due to the 400 m difference in elevation) from linking the Red Sea with the Dead Sea. A simulation model is suggested for the evaluation of electricity produced by the system. It was found that the generated hydropower exploiting the head difference of 400 m by diverting 56.7 m(3)/s (1,600 x 10(6) m(3)/year), is about 194 MW. Assuming peak-power operation, the proposed hydroelectric system with an installed capacity of 495 MW would produce about 1.3 billion kWh per year of electricity, which constitutes about 15% of Jordan's electric power consumption in 2006.