Khaberni - The House of Representatives, by majority, approved two articles in the Gas Law project for the year 2025, as received from the government, out of a total of 32 articles in the bill.
This occurred during a legislative session held today, Monday, chaired by the Speaker of the Council Mazen Al-Qadi, with the attendance of Prime Minister Dr. Jafar Hassan and members of the government team, lasting over two continuous hours.
Regarding the first article in the bill, the House of Representatives supported the decision of the Parliamentary Energy and Mineral Resources Committee, which includes the law taking effect after its publication in the Official Gazette.
The Parliamentary Energy Committee recommended approving the "amendment (2025) to become (2026), by deleting the phrase (after one hundred and eighty days)".
This article states: "This law shall be known as (Gas Law for the year 2025), and it shall take effect one hundred and eighty days after its date of publication in the Official Gazette", as the deputies also approved the second article in the bill, thus supporting what was included in their committee's decision regarding this article.
Energy and Mineral Resources Minister, Saleh Al-Kharabsheh, mentioned that the draft Gas Law was prepared a year ago, noting that natural gas represents a lower-cost fuel, which means an increased reliance on natural gas.
Kharabsheh revealed that the distribution of gas in the provinces of Amman and Zarqa would begin, for use in transportation and residential consumption.
For their part, several deputies stated that the bill is the first national legislation to frame green hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives through creating a legal basis, adding that this project gives Jordan a legal competitive advantage in attracting major foreign investments in the field of energy and sustainable security, in addition to placing Jordan on the map of countries exporting clean energy.
The deputies explained that the law provides a regulatory framework for activities and transportation, distribution, storage, registration, and refueling, which facilitates the delivery of gas to the industrial, commercial, and citizen sectors, and the transportation and residential consumption sectors, confirming that the law supports the expansion in the use of gas as a primary fuel that enhances the Jordanian economy.
They pointed to the law as a critical milestone in managing a national strategic wealth, emphasizing the pivotal role of natural gas in energy security, enhancing economic competitiveness, and supporting the energy transition.
They confirmed the necessity for the law to be balanced between investment attractiveness and energy sovereignty, and between economic efficiency and environmental sustainability, serving the country's supreme interest, noting that the law represents a foundational pillar for regulating the energy sector and developing hydrogen derivatives in the Kingdom.
The House of Representatives had agreed by majority, during a session on November 24th last year, to refer the Gas Law for the year 2025 to the Parliamentary Energy Committee, which in turn approved it on January 20th last year, as received from the government, with some amendments made to it.
The Council of Ministers had approved, in a session held on August 10th last year, the draft of the law, where the new "Gas Law" forms a modern legislative framework that regulates the activities of the gas sector and hydrogen derivatives in the Kingdom, and enhances the national infrastructure for energy.
The law includes various types of gas, such as natural gas, biogas, biomethane, and hydrogen, reflecting legislative flexibility to accommodate the global shift towards clean energy.
The law covers the main gas activities, including import, transportation, distribution, storage, wholesale, and retail, within an integrated system that allows for shared or self-use of facilities, facilitating the implementation of major economic and strategic projects, and encourages investment in the sector through a clear regulatory environment and streamlined licensing procedures covering all stages of the projects.
The new law project also contributes to the stimulation of the shift to natural gas, thanks to the presence of a regulatory law and streamlined procedures that encourage investment in transport and distribution networks and storage.
The law lays out clear mechanisms for calculating fees and grants licensees the freedom to sign investment and sale agreements within a transparent environment based on fairness and competitiveness.
