×
App Icon
The Standard e-Paper
Read Offline Anywhere
★★★★ - on Play Store
Download Now

Troubled new power plant leaves Jordan in debt to China

Vocalize Pre-Player Loader

Audio By Vocalize

Attarat power plant is seen some 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of Amman, Jordan, June 7, 2023. [AP Photo]

Jordan's Attarat power plant was envisioned as a landmark project promising to provide the desert kingdom with a major source of energy while solidifying its relations with China.

But weeks after its official opening, the site, a sea of black, crumbly rock in the barren desert south of Jordan's capital, is instead a source of heated controversy. Deals surrounding the plant put Jordan on the hook for billions of dollars in debt to China - all for a plant that is no longer needed for its energy, because of other agreements made since the project's conception.

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week.
Uncover the stories others won’t tell. Subscribe now for exclusive access
  • Unlimited access to all premium content
  • Uninterrupted ad-free browsing experience
  • Mobile-optimized reading experience
  • Weekly Newsletters
  • MPesa, Airtel Money and Cards accepted
Already a subscriber? Log in
By Xinhua 2 hrs ago
Sports
How Chinese elements shine at Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics
Basketball
Thunder plot Equity Bank raid as Premier League tips off
By Ben Ahenda 12 hrs ago
Boxing
Future Boxing Championships offer Kenyan boxers lessons
Athletics
Why Faith Kipyegon is making waves after winning 10km debut