MENALINKS hosts second national workshop on industrial flexibility in close collaboration with Jordan’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR)

MENALINKS role supporting industrial flexibility 

The workshop was opened by Eng. Omar Alrosan from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (MEMR), who emphasised the importance of power system flexibility in integrating increasing shares of renewable energy generation, which Jordan aims to raise to 31% by 2030.  

MENALINKS’ Programme Manager Dr. Christian Nabe (Guidehouse) presented an overview of the MENALINKS programme, its current implementation status, and its role in supporting Jordan’s energy transition. Eng. Omar Saffouri (Royal Scientific Society, RSS) concluded the session with a presentation on Jordan’s industrial sector, highlighting its relevance for the energy system and the opportunities for flexibility within key industries.

Industrial load-shifting to unlock additional renewable energy potential 

The workshop also included technical presentations by MENALINKS’ Khaled Al-Dabbas (Fraunhofer ISI) and Irakli Darchiashvili (EGI), who pointed out that increasing renewable energy integration levels carries the risk of increased levels of curtailments for renewable energy producers if insufficient countermeasures are implemented. Industrial load-shifting can represent one of the solutions to enable higher levels of renewables in the energy mix by supporting power system in aligning energy use with the availability of solar generation, therefore reducing curtailment of renewables, and thus lowering system costs. 

The experts also presented technical options to enhance industrial flexibility including flexibility in production processes, process heat flexibility through hybrid energy supply, and flexibility through decentralized system components. For example, flexibility in production processes focuses primarily on adapting the timing of energy-intensive operations. It involves adjusting production schedules or altering process chains to take advantage of favourable energy prices. It often requires some form of capacity planning, like storage or overcapacity, to shift production without disrupting overall operations. Using the presented examples as a starting point provided valuable insights into how similar approaches could be adapted to the Jordanian context. 

Jordan Industrial Estates Company as a key enabler for industrial actors 

The Jordan Industrial Estates Company (JIEC) operates based on a comprehensive approach clustered around industrial cities, with JIEC supporting the provision of modern infrastructure services, developed lands, and ready-to-use industrial buildings to facilitate investments. The philosophy behind the establishment of industrial cities is based on creating an investment-friendly environment and enhancing factors that attract industrial investments. JIEC is advancing its sustainability agenda with, for example, the introduction of solar-powered water harvesting projects in key industrial locations. Building on this agenda, JIEC is planning new solar systems for the period 2025-2028, representing the next step in reducing the carbon footprint of selected industries. 

Industrial sectors with highest flexibility potential in Jordan 

MENALINKS’ Viktor Müller (Fraunhofer ISI) and Irakli Darchiashvili (EGI) presented the conclusions of a preliminary assessment of industrial sectors in Jordan that ranked the sectors with the highest flexibility potential. Together these top six sectors account for approximately 50% of the gross output and 70% of electricity and overall energy input (in monetary terms). The top six sectors are:  

• mining and quarrying,  

• manufacture of rubber and plastics products,  

• manufacture of basic metals,  

• manufacture of chemicals and chemical products,  

• manufacture of non-metallic mineral products, and  

• manufacture of food products.  

International case studies were shared with stakeholders to illustrate how industrial flexibility can be applied in specific industrial processes. These examples covered the cement, chemical, mining, food, and plastic industries in particular. 

Flexibility potential and regulatory framework in Germany 

During the workshop, Khaled Al-Dabbas presented a study conducted by Fraunhofer ISI that qualitatively and quantitatively analysed the technical, economic, and regulatory opportunities and barriers to enhance flexibility in energy end-use, specifically within the industrial sector in Germany. Key insights of the study include:  

• Flexible industrial loads can help integrate renewable energy by smoothing fluctuations in electricity supply — with potential to dispatch up to 10% of industrial loads in alignment with PV generation. 

• Load shifting is feasible when process steps are decoupled or intermediate material storage is available — for example, in the cement industry, between grinding and burning processes. 

• Interruptible loads and load curtailment were also discussed as mechanisms to support resource adequacy and grid stability. 

The workshop reinforced MENALINKS’ commitment to fostering dialogue and knowledge exchange among Jordanian stakeholders. Future workshops will continue to build on these discussions, with a focus on identifying regulatory and policy instruments and refining strategies for industrial flexibility and sector coupling.