UK to cooperate with Jordan on desalination

27 June 2008

A memorandum of understanding (MoU) is to be signed at the weekend between Jordan and the UK that would facilitate cooperation in nuclear energy, including for desalination of water. The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office confirmed the forthcoming deal to World Nuclear News today, stating that the document would be signed on the British side by Barbara Thomas Judge, chair of the UK Atomic Energy Authority, and for Jordan by a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. A spokesman said: "The MoU will highlight the types of activity in which the two states would engage, and seek to strengthen cooperation in those areas." Desalination of seawater for consumption or use in agriculture is seen as an important non-power application of nuclear energy for coming decades. Jordanian authorities signed a similar cooperation agreement with the USA last September and have optimistically said they intend to operate a nuclear power plant from 2015.