AMMAN — The amount of proven uranium reserves in central Jordan will most likely be announced during the first half of this year, according to Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Mohammad Hamed.
He made his remarks during a visit to the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) on Monday, where he met with its chairman, Khaled Toukan, and discussed progress in Jordan’s peaceful nuclear programme, including the agency’s efforts to explore uranium in the Kingdom’s central areas, citing studies that proved its economic feasibility.
The minister checked on progress made towards implementing Jordan’s nuclear programme, which includes the establishment of a nuclear station for electricity generation with a capacity of 1,000-megawatt (MW) by 2023, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
The $5 billion station, whose operational life will stand at around 60 years, compared to the 25-year lifespan of traditional stations, is expected to constitute 35 per cent of electricity generated in the Kingdom.
Hamed also checked on works carried out to construct a nuclear research reactor at the Jordan University of Science and Technology, in addition to Jordan’s project to explore for uranium, according to Petra.
The 5MW nuclear research reactor will serve as a training ground for nuclear engineers and physicists who will man the country’s nuclear programme in the future.
