South Korean firm lands 2nd Mideast reactor deal in two months
AMMAN — Jordan has reached an agreement to acquire its first nuclear
research reactor.
Jordan has signed a contract with a South Korean consortium to assemble
a nuclear research reactor in the Hashemite kingdom. The consortium, led by
Korea Electric Power Corp., said the contract was valued at $178 million and
would be completed by 2014, Middle East Newsline reported.
This marked Korea Electric's second nuclear reactor award in the Middle
East in as many months. In December 2009, the Seoul-based company won a
nuclear energy project in the United Arab Emirates valued at more than $20
billion.
"This is an important step toward a nuclear energy project," an official
said.
Officials said the contract called on Korea Electric to construct a five
megawatt reactor. They said the reactor would be employed for research as a
first stage toward a nuclear energy project.
In 2009, Korea Electric bested two consortiums for the Jordanian
project. They were comprised of a team of General Electric and Hitachi and a
consortium led by France's Areva.
