A sub-regional outlook of renewable energy potential: the case of Jordan, Syria and Lebanon

This paper addresses the current status and the potentials of renewable energy applications in the selected Middle East countries; Jordan, Syria, and Lebanon. The energy and environmental situations within these primary target areas reflect many similarities and share serious common problems. These include an almost total dependence on imported oil products as the primary energy source, rapidly growing populations that are escalating the demand for energy, and only rudimentary efforts currently underway to mitigate the greenhouse and other adverse environmental effects of energy utilization. Lebanon is highly urbanized compared to Syria and Jordan with much smaller area and has not been fully engaged in pilot projects for use of renewable energy. Applications of solar energy in that region have been growing since 1970. Solar water heating with support of policies in Jordan has achieved measurable market penetration. Lebanon and Syria have not made reasonable progress in solar applications due to subsidized electricity supply to the end user. The technical and economic feasibility of wind energy utilization in Lebanon has not been yet fully explored, while it has advanced with two operating wind farms in Jordan, and one pilot wind farm in Syria. Similarly, the transfer of biomass technology has been successful in Jordan while it remains at the assessment level in Lebanon and Syria coupled with small pilot projects