Amman- December 15, 2016
Under the patronage of Mr. Andrea Matteo Fontana, Ambassador of the European Union to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, and HE Dr. Ibrahim Saif, Jordanian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources and in the presence of Prof. Natheer Abu Obeid, President of the German Jordanian University (GJU), the lab of the EU funded project “Biogas Production in Local Communities in Jordan “ was inaugurated on Thursday, 15th of December, 2016.
The project “Biogas Production in Local Communities in Jordan” is funded by the European Union (EU), supported by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR) as contracting authority and coordinated by Dr. Mohammad Al-Addous and Dr. Christina B. Class from GJU.
In his opening speech, GJU president Prof. Abu Obeid asserted that this big project is a second project in the area of energy with significant community benefits. The first project was the establishment of a Solar Driven Water Pumping and Desalination Facility in Jordan Valley. He emphasized that this project reflects GJU’s Vision to affect positively our local Jordanian community through applied projects. He expressed GJU’s gratefulness to the EU, MEMR, and the Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) for their support and efforts in this as well as other projects.
Mr. Fontana, the EU ambassador, mentioned EU’s achievements in the sector of renewable energy and highlighted European Union’s strategic partnership with Jordan in the energy sector. He congratulated GJU on its initiative to enhance green energy for local communities through Biogas. He expressed pride to witness the inauguration of the biogas laboratory that aims at supporting new innovative applications in two important sectors; waste to energy and waste management.
For his part Dr. Wael Ababneh, representative of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Recourses, pointed out the importance to create sustainable energy systems that base on the wise use of resources. He added that the GJU project and its lab play an important role as a pilot project not only for Jordan but for the whole region to enhance the use of Biogas as a future energy resource. Finally, he conveyed the Minister’s thanks and appreciations to the project coordinators for their inputs and hard work and to the EU for their generous support.
After expressing her thanks to EU, MEMR and GJU, Dr. Christina B. Class, one of the project’s coordinators at GJU, presented the project’s vision and stressed that capacity building for local engineers and technicians is an important part of the project. According to her, the project team from four different schools at GJU gains much of its strength from its interdisciplinarity. Finally she expressed the team’s hope that the “project, together with many other projects and efforts in Jordan, will shape how energy is produced in the future and how waste is looked at.”
Prof. Dr. Kerstin Kuchta from Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH) conveyed the greetings from the German partner as well as the president of TUHH. She highlighted the importance of the project and the excellent cooperation and welcomed GJU as a potential partner in international standardized Biogas Analysis tests as GJU now possesses a competitive Biogas lab.
During the inauguration ceremony Professor Abu Obeid handed over the GJU shields to the EU Ambassador, Mr. Fontana, and the representative of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Recourses, Dr. Ababneh.
The inauguration was attended by guests from the EU delegation, the ministry, other Jordanian organizations as well as the president of GJU, its Vice Presidents, Deans, directors and GJU staff.
