Jordan initiates construction of research reactor

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan's Nuclear Regulatory Commission (JNRC) has issued the construction permit for the first research nuclear reactor in the country, to be built at the Jordan University of Science and Technology campus in the north of the country at a total cost of USD 130 million. In remarks Tuesday, JNRC Director General Majd Hawwari said the reactor has a capacity of five megawatt and is to be constructed after two years of nuclear safety assessment studies. He pointed out the project is to be executed by a South Korea's Daewoo Engineering Construction Co. and the Korean Nuclear Energy Promotion Agency (KONEPA). The reactor project is expected to be completed by 2016, he added. The official said the commission recently received five delegations from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and discussed the permit procedures and the design of the Jordan Research and Training Reactor (JRTR), and conducted an assessment of the procedures. The commission adheres to the guidelines of the IAEA and European Union when issuing any license for a nuclear project, he remarked, adding the commission benefits from a leading international consultancy agency specialized in nuclear-related legislation. The construction permit involves initial safety assessments and seismic, environmental, and quality control analyses. The second phase and issue of the operation permit follows and is preceded by amassing the suitable expertise and staff and capabilities to handle this project and to ensure progress in the country's overall nuclear project. According to Hawwari, JRTR is the nucleus for a national center for nuclear science and technology, training for specialists and engineers in nuclear technologies, and the promotion of a nuclear safety culture. Jordan plans to utilize nuclear technology for peaceful purposes which also include power production and water desalination.