Jordan and an Estonian firm have announced that they are closing in on an agreement to build the one of the largest power plants in the world that runs on oil shale. According to Harri Mikk, chairman of Eesti Energia subsidiary Jordan Oil Shale Energy Co., the firm and the government are closing in on an agreement to construct Jordan’s first oil shale-fired thermal power station. The plant, a 700MW structure, is to be built in the central region of Attarat to take advantage of the area’s shale reserves, estimated at several billion tonnes. An energy ministry official, who was not authorised to speak to the press, confirmed that negotiations between the two sides are “ongoing”, expecting a deal to be reached by the end of the year. According to Mikk, electricity produced by the plant, to be operational as early as 2016, will be cost-competitive with electricity generated by traditional fossil fuels. Under a separate project, Eesti Energia is conducting oil shale exploration in a 40km concession zone in the central region: an area expected to yield up to 36,000 barrels of shale oil per day.