Jordan needs 'smelly' nuclear

13 July 2007

[Globe & Mail, 12 July] King Abdullah II of Jordan said that although nuclear power is "sort of smelly and dangerous", he believes it is necessary for the country. Speaking to The Globe and Mail newspaper prior to a two-day visit to Canada, King Abdullah said, "I'm not a proponent of nuclear energy but I gather that technologies, especially out of Canada these days, are very efficient, very clean, very safe technologies." He added that if Jordan is going to pursue nuclear energy "the only way we want to do it is to be the example of how to do it right in the Middle East, but also to make sure that we have the most efficient, clean and transparent form of energy." King Abdullah noted that Jordan has had "some very serious and ongoing discussions with the Canadians on this respect." Bassem Awadallah, director of the King's office, said that the Jordanian delegation planned to discuss the possible purchase of Candu pressurized heavy water reactors with Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper's government. Jordan, which has virtually no oil or gas resources, plans to have a nuclear power plant in operation by 2015 for electricity generation and water desalination.

 

Further information

 

WNA's Emerging Nuclear Energy Countries information paper
WNA's
 Canada's Uranium Production & Nuclear Power information paper

WNN: Nuclear energy an option for Gulf states