British multinational consultancy, engineering and project management company Amec Foster Wheeler has been awarded a new contract by Guangdong Power Engineering Co (GPEC). The contract will see Amec Foster Wheeler taking on the design and supply of two circulating fluidised-bed (CFB) steam generator boilers for the Chinese engineering company, which are to be located in Attarat Um Ghudran, Jordan.

This project was initiated back in 2014 in order to perform the EPC of the $2.1bn 554-megawatt oil shale fired power plant, which is the first of its kind in Jordan, and a spokesperson for Amec Foster Wheeler has claimed that this is a very significant and rewarding project for the business.

As leading energy markets around the world aim to introduce energy-efficient and eco-friendly solutions with challenging fuels, this project is further testament to Amec Foster Wheeler’s leadership and track record in CFBs, which is central to its effort, commented Tomas Harju-Jeanty, the President of Amec Foster Wheeler Energia Group. We will use our CFB technology that is successfully operating in four European plants to burn oil shale.

The project is located around 100km south east of Amman, the capital city of Jordan, and the team at Amec Foster Wheeler will also be called upon for technical advisory services for the two 235 MWe CFB boilers which are designed in the hope of burning 100% of the oil shale in Jordan. This will help the country to utilise the mass amount of available oil share reserve which is thought to be around 30 billion tonnes, and will in turn mean that Jordan will be far less reliant on imported oil and gas.

The oil shale reserve is expected to account for 10-15 per cent of Jordan’s annual power demand, and Amec’s involvement will only boost the company’s global reputation even further!