Jordanian Minister for Media Affairs Mohammad Momani said there has been progress made in the country’s fledgling nuclear program.
The Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) met with state officials to review progress made in the nuclear program. Momani also said nuclear safety standards were a key priority for the country and that international standards will be met by future nuclear reactors that will be built.
JAEC Chairman Khlaed Touqan said construction of the first nuclear reactor would cost an estimated $115.1 million. Of this, the South Korean government contributed approximately $84.6 million in financing.
The World Nuclear Association (WNA) said approximately 95 percent of Jordan’s energy supply is imported at a cost of approximately 20 percent of its GDP.
Through development of a nuclear program, the nation hopes to increase energy security and reliability while also lowering energy costs nationally. The WNA said the country is working to build a 1,000-megawatt nuclear reactor and begin operations in 2024, with another reactor planned for a later time.
The WNA also said the country has a large amount of uranium resources. In 2007, the government’s energy strategy called for approximately 6 percent of the nation’s energy to be provided through nuclear means by 2020.
