AMMAN, May 14 (Xinhua) -- Jordan launched on Sunday 12 solar energy power plants with a total capacity of 200 megawatts, state-run Petra news agency reported.

Among them, 11 are located in the south of Jordan with one located in the north, Petra said.

The total cost of the projects, launched by King Abdullah II of Jordan, is about 400 million dinars (700 million U.S. dollars).

The projects, implemented by local and international companies in the field and financed by several institutions, are part of a strategy by Jordan to increase its reliance on local energy resources. Under the strategy, solar and wind power plants with a total capacity of about 1,600 megawatts will be ready and connected to the grid by 2020.

The strategy seeks to increase renewable energy mix from three percent to 10 percent by 2020.

Jordan, which imports about 97 percent of its energy needs, is working on a strategy to diversify its energy resources through implementing renewable energy projects as well as projects that run on oil shale and nuclear energy.