"At the end of the day, we would like to move from nuclear technology
users to developers within 20 years time," Jordanian Atomic Energy
Commission chairman Khaled Toukan said. "But this will take hard work."
The nuclear training and technology center would be established at the
Jordan University of Science and Technology near Irbid. Officials said the
center would serve Jordan as well as its allies that intend to employ an
indigenous nuclear support staff.
"Jordan has a real opportunity to accelerate its nuclear development in
terms of both volume and capacity to prepare a future generation to man a
commercial nuclear power plant," South Korean Minister of Education Byong
Man Ahn said.
Under the March 30 accord, 56 Jordanians would be trained as nuclear
engineers and technicians. The training, to take place in Jordan and South
Korea, would provide instruction in reactor operation, maintenance,
radioisotope production and radiation safety.
South Korea has agreed to finance most the nuclear research reactor
project. Officials said Seoul would provide a $70 million soft loan for the
project, scheduled to begin in June 2010 with a feasibility study on
environmental impact.
The five-megawatt reactor, designed to produce a range of radioisotopes
for civilian application, was expected to be fully operational by 2015. In
the meantime, officials said, South Korea would help train Jordanian
engineers and technicians.
Officials said Jordan has secured suppliers for fuel enriched to a level
of 19 percent for the research reactor. They said one option was to use
uranium mined in the kingdom and enriched in France or other countries.
Another key supplier has been France's Areva. In 2009, Areva signed an
agreement to help explore and mine uranium in Jordan through a joint
venture, Jordanian-French Uranium Mining Co.
Officials said Jordan wants its nuclear infrastructure to serve as a
basis for export. Under its agreement with Seoul, Amman could export nuclear
reactor technology after 2030.
"We are not just supplying technology, then leaving," Korea Institute of
Nuclear Safety vice president Jae Joo Ha said. "We want to help Jordan
develop a successful program over time and make similar achievements to
Korea."
