Amman - The Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) on Sunday signed a contract with the Australian consulting firm Worley Parsons to prepare the foundation for the country's first nuclear power plant. Under the 11.3-million-dollar contract, the Australian firm will carry out the pre-construction work and assist in fuel cycle engineering and waste management for the 1,000-megawatt plant, slated to be built about 20 kilometres south of the Red Sea port of Aqaba, JAEC President Khalid Touqan said during the signing ceremony.
"Worley Parsons will submit to the JAEC a feasibility study and evaluate the cost of the nuclear plant in addition to advising the commission on the choice of the suitable technology and its source," he added.
Touqan said the Australian firm would study offers for supplying Jordan with nuclear reactors from France, Canada and South Korea and choose the best in terms of the technical and financial aspects.
The JAEC has chosen the Belgian engineering group, Tractebel, to appraise the site of the nuclear plant and Touqan said Sunday that the firm would submit its preliminary report to the Jordanian side next week.
He pointed out the Australian firm was involved in implementing part of the Egyptian nuclear programme and had "extensive experience" in the United States, Europe and Asia.
Earlier this year, Worley Parsons was named the consultant for Egypt's first nuclear power plant, a 1,200-megawatt reactor, and has been reportedly involved in energy megaprojects in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Yemen and the United Arab Emirates.
Jordan's peaceful nuclear power programme aims to establish up to four reactors with the potential to produce 60 per cent of the country's energy needs by 2035.
Energy officials have expressed interest in utilizing the kingdom's vast uranium resources, estimated at over 140,000 tonnes, for the programme with the assistance of the French AREVA group.
The Jordanian government has so far signed nuclear cooperation agreements with France, Canada, South Korea, Russia, China, Britain and Argentina.
