In his interview with Al-Ra'y, Tuqan states that yellowcake would be produced from uranium excavated from Jordanian mines, or from phosphoric acid after processing (uranium extracted from phosphates). He suggests that contracts could be signed with specialized international companies to enrich uranium abroad, then send the enriched uranium back to Jordan. He explains that the raw material would come from Jordanian mines, but the enrichment operations intended for nuclear reactors would be carried out abroad. For this purpose, contracts would be signed with international companies, through tenders to provide uranium enrichment services abroad. This means that no uranium would be enriched inside the Kingdom.

Tuqan reveals that the nuclear reactor will tentatively be located 25 km southeast of Aqaba, and that an agreement will be signed with a specialized company to conduct an 18-month survey and study at the location starting next July. If the location is found to be unsuitable, the project will be moved to another location, most likely close to the Gulf of Aqaba, because the nuclear reactor has to be close to a water source. Tuqan notes that a tender has been offered to engage an international expert to conduct an economic feasibility study for the nuclear power plant, and draft the legislative and legal framework for establishing a nuclear power station company. Specifics are being prepared for the tender, and for inviting offers for participation in choosing the suitable technology for the nuclear reactor.

Explaining the mechanisms of the nuclear power plant's operations, Tuqan states that the station will eventually produce 1,000 megawatts of electricity, and that such production capacity would require 140 tons of yellowcake extracted from uranium. He said production in the Al-Wasat uranium mine is expected to reach 2,000 tons per year, and that there are plans for building a total of four nuclear power plants to generate and produce energy over the next two decades. When surplus uranium, of which nuclear reactors consume small amounts, is added up, it shows that in the future we will possess a substantial energy surplus that could transform the Kingdom into an energy exporting country. Tuqan also points out that building a nuclear power plant requires three years of preparations followed by five to six years of construction. According to estimates, the first nuclear power plant in Jordan could be operational in 2017-2018.

Tuqan said that the Jordanian-French Company for Uranium Mining has actually begun working in its concession zone in the Kingdom's central region (Sawwaqah, Khan al-Zabib), and it is expected to finish the feasibility studies by the end of 2010, after which work will begin to build the mine facilities, along with the industrial unit for processing raw uranium and extracting the yellowcake. Production is expected to begin in 2012.

Tuqan said that new areas are marked in the study for uranium exploration at Wadi al-Bahiyah, Wadi al-Sahab al-Abyad, and Al-Ruwayshid, and that for this purpose a memorandum of understanding has been signed with the British-Australian company, Rio Tinto. He said the JAEC is conducting laboratory studies for the production of the first samples of yellowcake in its own laboratories.

Tuqan disclosed that estimates and studies have indicated that uranium extracted from phosphate could supply Jordan with electricity for 30-40 years.

The following is the full text of the interview:

[Al-Khalidi] Talk about Jordan's nuclear programme is linked to the issue of the possible negative effects on the environment resulting from building a nuclear plant and reactors, especially of waste materials such as water. How could waste be dealt with, and does it have any possible effects"

[Tuqan] No waste water from the nuclear power plant will be pumped into the area, be it sea water or sweet water, because 80 million cubic metres of water will be produced by the refining stations for use in closed cycles to compensate for evaporation, as well as for internal use, and also to compensate for evaporation in the closed cooling cycle. Water will never be allowed to run into the surrounding area from the power plant.

[Al-Khalidi] What technology will be used in the nuclear power plant"

[Tuqan] First, let me explain that the nuclear power plant is divided into three sections. The first is the nuclear zone area where energy is produced, the second is the turbine zone where electricity is generated, and the third contains the transformers and the electricity distribution systems. The technology that will be employed does not use direct cooling, which, even if it is used, does not allow water to enter into the nuclear zone, but directs it to the zone that houses the turbines. In general, the technology that will be used may be summed up as "the closed cycle," whereby water is redirected through a complete closed cycle inside the reactor using 200-metre high cooling towers. Here the water is directly cooled in the towers, and the heat is expelled by the cooling fans.

[Al-Khalidi] What are the specifics of the location where the nuclear station will be built"

[Tuqan] The location chosen in Aqaba is 25 km southeast of the city. A contract will be signed with a company to carry out field studies and surveys. Work will begin in July, and last for 18 months. If the location is found to be unsuitable for the project, another one will be found, most likely in the Gulf of Aqaba, depending on the existence of a water source close to the location where the nuclear power plant is to be built. In the future, when the Al-Bahrayn water canal becomes a reality, it would be possible to search for other locations outside the Aqaba area.

Parallel to the launching of the studies related to the power plant's location, a tender has been launched to hire an international expert to conduct a feasibility study for the power plant project, and draft the legislative and legal framework for the establishment of a nuclear power plant. Currently, the specifics of the tender and the invitation to submit offers and participate in choosing the suitable technology for the nuclear power plant, studying nuclear waste management and securing stable nuclear fuel services are all being prepared in view of the fact that JAEC strategy is built on not leaving any single detail related to the project without research, without taking needed measures and making adequate preparations, even it is related to the project's waste products, such as radioactive waste.

[Al-Khalidi] What is the surface area of the location where the power plant will be built"

[Tuqan] The location under study in Aqaba is 4 square km, while a nuclear facility needs 200 dunums [ 200,000 square metres] for a nuclear power plant, the turbine zone and all the other auxiliaries attached to the station. Accordingly, in the future the location can accommodate up to four stations. I have already said that each station needs 200 dunums.

[Al-Khalidi] There is some vagueness and incoherence in statements about the nature of the nuclear power plant's operation, and about the effect on the surroundings, especially from the fuel, which is, of course, the uranium used in the reactor. Do you have any clarifications to make in this regard"

[Tuqan] All power plants, whether they generate energy by burning heavy fuel or natural gas, or by burning nuclear fuel instead of heavy fuel and gas, need their own fuel. In the case of nuclear fuel (which is 4 per cent enriched uranium), the burning occurs by splitting the nucleus, a process that in the end generates energy. In either case the process is the same, whether energy is produced in a traditional or nuclear power plant, in the sense that energy is produced by heating the steam to very high temperatures, pressurizing the vapour, and using it to run the turbines that generate energy.

[Al-Khalidi] This leads us to the issue of uranium to be used in the future power plant's nuclear reactors. Are there any dangers in using uranium as the only fuel in the reactors"

[Tuqan] I must explain that fuel used in reactors is 3-4 per cent enriched uranium. When this fuel is burnt in the reactors, the so-called consumed fuel is produced, and specialized operations are needed to manage and process what is called spent fuel. Highly radioactive materials are produced and processed, leaving behind the residue of splitting the nucleus. The residue is stored in special containers for 100-200 years before being discarded for good.

Laws regulating nuclear activity force countries that have signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty to curb nuclear arms proliferation, and allow them to enrich uranium within the rates mentioned above under direct IAEA supervision and control, and within the IAEA's guarantee system. Jordan is among the countries that have signed this treaty.

[Al-Khalidi] Does this mean that uranium will be enriched in the Kingdom, or that the country will use uranium enriched abroad"

[Tuqan] Yellowcake is extracted from uranium produced in the Kingdom's mines, or from phosphoric acid after it is manufactured (uranium extracted from phosphates). Contracts will be signed with specialized international companies to provide uranium enrichment services abroad. The enriched uranium would be sent back to the Kingdom. This means that the uranium would come from Jordanian mines, but the enrichment operations for use in the nuclear reactors will be carried out abroad. In this regard, contracts will be signed with international companies through tenders to provide enrichment services outside the country. No uranium will be enriched in the Kingdom.

[Al-Khalidi] In 2008 the opening of the first uranium mine in the Kingdom was announced. At what stage is work in the mines now"

[Tuqan] The Jordanian-French Company for Uranium Mining (the French partner is Ariva) began operations in July 2008 in its concession zone in central Jordan (Al-Sawwaqah, Khan al-Zabib), after completing detailed studies of the project, digging ditches and wells in order to determine the deposits accurately, and conducting the economic feasibility studies. Currently, there are operations sites in the Al-Sawwaqah and Khan Al-Zabib regions. The economic feasibility studies are expected to be completed by the end of 2010, following which work will begin to build the mine's sections and attached facilities, and to construct the industrial units designed to process the raw materials and extract yellowcake. The production stage is expected to begin in 2012.

[Al-Khalidi] Are there any new uranium exploration areas in the Kingdom other than Al-Sawwaqah and Khan al-Zabib"

[Tuqan] There are new uranium exploration areas in the country under study in the Wadi al-Bahiyah, Wadi al-Sahab al-Abyad, and Al-Ruwayshid regions, where exploration and excavation studies are under way by JAEC, based on a memorandum of understanding signed for this purpose with the British-Australian company Rio Tinto. I would also like to point out that JAEC has begun laboratory studies for the production of preliminary samples of yellowcake in its own laboratories.

[Al-Khalidi] The phosphates company, in cooperation with the JAEC, is conducting yellowcake extraction studies on the basis of related agreements. What about them"

[Tuqan] The JAEC is carrying out studies in cooperation with the Jordanian Phosphates Company to produce yellowcake from phosphoric acid. The JAEC has carried out a study through a contract signed with an international company, and the phosphates company financed this study. The study is also designed to produce yellowcake for energy production in the nuclear reactors. Estimates and studies have indicated that the uranium that is to be extracted from phosphates can provide Jordan with electricity for the coming 30-40 years.

[Al-Khalidi] I would like to ask you about the concession rights involved in uranium production, concerning the state's rights in this regard"

[Tuqan] I must assert that the nation's uranium wealth is the property of the Jordanian State. However, there are cooperation agreements to carry out studies related to mining, opening up mines, and planning for building industrial compounds to produce yellowcake according to joint agreements between the JAEC and the selected companies, on the basis of the financial and economic rights, rates, terms and other considerations determined by bilateral agreements between the Jordanian Government and the concerned countries.

[Al-Khalidi] Regarding estimated uranium deposits in many areas of the Kingdom, what are the trends for dealing with such volume"

[Tuqan] Suffice to say our uranium production in the Al-Wasat mine will average about 2,000 tons annually. This is a huge quantity if we take into consideration expected future production rates in the Kingdom's other promising regions. A limited quantity of yellowcake extracted from uranium in the nuclear reactors, as well as other quantities, would be earmarked for export as an important, huge economic resource for the Kingdom.

[Al-Khalidi] Will you export and sell all surplus quantities exceeding the needs of the Jordanian reactors"

[Tuqan] We are trying to build up a strategic stockpile of local uranium, and will have at our disposal surplus quantities of uranium, part of which will be earmarked for export and another part for establishing our strategic stockpile of this raw material, the value of which is constantly increasing.

[Al-Khalidi] You have made statements suggesting that Jordan will be transformed from an energy importer to energy exporter by 2030. What are the prospects for achieving this target, considering that the Kingdom relies on imported energy for 94 per cent of the total energy consumption"

[Tuqan] To start with, these statements are not exaggerated, as we have facts to support prediction, which, based on sufficient and clear data, may be summed up as follows: Currently, the Kingdom generates 2,400 megawatts of electricity annually with existing power plants. In the future, the nuclear station will produce 1,000 megawatts of electricity. Producing such a quantity needs 140 tons of yellowcake annually, extracted from uranium. On the other side, our uranium production at the Al-Wasat mine will reach 2,000 tons per year. Additionally, our future plans are centred on building four nuclear stations in the coming two decades for energy production. If we add to this the uranium surplus, of which nuclear reactors consume only a small part, it becomes clear, without exaggeration, that a large quantity of surplus energy will be accrued, which, with God's will, can transform the Kingdom into an energy exporter. Here I would like to point out that building the first reactor needs three years of preparation and five to six years of construction. According to estimates, the first nuclear station in Jordan is expected to operate during 2017-2018.

[Al-Khalidi] Do you expect to sign any new agreements related to the nuclear programme soon"

[Tuqan] We expect to sign a cooperation agreement between Jordan and Russia on 22 May in Moscow. The agreement is for nuclear cooperation. In June, a nuclear cooperation agreement will be signed with Britain, and negotiations for nuclear cooperation agreements with Romania, Spain, Japan, and Argentina will be launched. The JAEC will also sign an agreement for building a research nuclear reactor, where students will be able to conduct research and embark on training and academic studies.

[Al-Khalidi] There are expectations concerning the nomination of several countries with which agreements have been reached as candidates for building the nuclear power plant in Jordan. Which are the most likely countries to build the first nuclear power plant in the Kingdom"

[Tuqan] The most likely candidate countries to build the nuclear station and provide us with nuclear reactors are South Korea, France, Canada, Russia, and the United States, and it should be noted that the nuclear energy produced is intended to cut energy production costs by 50 per cent. We should not forget that the world is currently going through a nuclear revival period, as there are 60 countries from the developing world and Asia engaged in projects aimed at using nuclear energy to generate electricity.

Source: Al-Ra'y, Amman, in Arabic 3 May 09 pp 40-41