The two nuclear power plants will use water from the Red-Dead Water Conveyance Project.
“We are seeking another site outside Aqaba Governorate to be connected to the Red-Dead project,” said Khaled Toukan, JAEC Chairman.
As per the cooperation agreement between JAEC and the Ministry of Water and Irrigation, the nuclear reactors will supply 726 MW of power for the Red-Dead project. This power is used for water pumping and desalination operations, while in turn the nuclear reactors will receive about 80 million cubic meters of water annually for cooling.
“With the two programmes, one is really supporting the other, and that is how we are going to move forward,” Toukan said.
Presently, JAEC is in discussions with a bidder from a shortlist of three international consulting companies to identify and prepare the site for Jordan’s first nuclear power plant, an area southeast of Aqaba.
Feasibility studies will be carried out by the selected firm for two-year period, during which it is estimated to assist in pinpointing a site for future power plants, Toukan said.
In mid-August 2009, JAEC will choose one of 10 international consulting companies from the US, Britain, Europe and Russia for the pre-construction phase of the first power plant, estimated to produce between 750MW – 1,000 MW of power.
Toukan said that JAEC will choose a company, in mid-September 2009, to construct Jordan’s first nuclear research reactor, a 5 MW plant which will be established at Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST).
The reactor will provide commercial services, in order to help offset operation and construction costs, Toukan added.
By 2009, in terms of cooperation JAEC is planning to sign nuclear agreements with Spain, Romania and Argentina, and is in serious discussions with US and Spain to sign similar cooperation agreements in 2010. This would increase the number of countries aiding Jordan’s nuclear programme to 11.
Toukan said, Jordan has signed agreements with France, China, South Korea, Canada, Russia and UK, paving the way for cooperation which is crucial for sustainability of the nation’s peaceful nuclear power programme.
“We want to establish a strong foundation for a process that will run for a century, therefore it is imperative to establish cooperation with many countries,” Toukan noted.
“We are taking off on all fronts – mining, the nuclear plant and the nuclear research reactor – with full transparency and international cooperation, emphasising all our rights under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty,” Toukan said.
