The search for alternative and locally available energy technologies are the most significant issue of the NERC aiming at increasing their contribution in the total energy mix by:
1. Coordinate ,support, conduct R&D, facilitate and promote oil shale experimental projects to determine and develop new processes and upgrade their feasibility of commercial utilization.
2. Put long term strategies and plans to fully address the issue of oil shale exploitation to enhance self sufficiency and reduce energy costs.
3. Evaluating the most economical and environmental technology to be employed and determine the time scale required to reach the commercial phase of utilization.
4. Construct and operate pilot and demonstration stations through cooperation of international, industrial and financial organizations.
5. Manage and operate laboratories and research experimental units through cooperation of all related institutions.
6. Several oil shale studies have been conducted using the latest technologies for either direct burring through circulating fluid bed boilers to generate electricity or through pyrolysis retorting methods to extract liquid petroleum. The average oil content is about 10% by weight. Previous studies have indicated very promising results.
7. Combustion Engineering Company has shown that it is possible to generate electricity using oil shale by circulating fluidized bed boiler at low cost of 11 fils/ kWh (1988), while retorting studies carried out by Lurgi and Suncor have indicated also promising low cost of producing shale oil at about $ 15-20 / barrel.
8. There are more than 25 known oil shale deposits in Jordan regarded as commercially sources of energy.
9. Numbers of commercial and demonstration projects have shown progression elsewhere in the world varying from circulating fluid bed systems to conventional pyrolysis methods of retorting proving the feasibility and viability of oil shale utilization by both methods.
10. Oil shale test results have shown that the Jordanian oil shale is considered as a good and acceptable fuel to be burned in circulating fluid bed boilers with very high combustion efficiency and very low emission. Retorting tests have also shown promising results and indicated that oil yield is 10% and gas yield is 5% by weight. The tests have also showed that the reaction of limestone with sulfur resulting in very low SO2 emission.
11. Solvent extraction of organic matter is also a famous techniques to extract oil from rock composites. In a study conducted jointly by Natural Resources Authority and NERC using soxhlet extractors using different type of solvents. Test results have concluded that maximum oil recovery can reach about 24% by using carbon disulfide by soxhlet extractor.
12. Preliminary R&D studies indicated that the high calcium ash of Jordanian oil shale is suitable for a wide range of utilization such as construction material (bricks, tiles, light weight aggregate, cement mixing, construction of road bases and stabilization of soils. More R&D activities will be carried jointly with the Royal Scientific Society