Jordan: proposed nuclear sites 'suitable'

27 April 2010

Geological and site studies in southern Jordan have shown the proposed locations to be suitable to house the country's first nuclear reactor.

The studies, carried out by Tractebel Engineering of Belgium, proved that a "number of locations" in southern Jordan are suitable for a nuclear reactor, Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) chairman Khaled Toukan told a workshop on nuclear plant financing. The meeting was attended by the country's prime minister, Samir Rifai, and reported by state news agency PETRA. The first studies would be followed by studies assessing environmental and safety impacts, Toukan said.

According to JAEC's web site the location to be the focus of the environmental impact studies is about 20 kilometres from Aqaba, several kilometres inland and around 450 metres above sea level.

A government-private sector partnership is being considered as a means of financing the project to build the country's first power reactor.

Jordan is set to get its first research reactor by 2014 under a contract signed by JAEC and a consortium headed by the Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute (Kaeri) with Daewoo in December 2009. The country plans to start building a nuclear power plant by 2013, and has been evaluating the design offerings of various international reactor vendors. Earlier this year, JAEC granted Areva exclusive mining rights for uranium in central Jordan.
 

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News