Russia and Jordan to focus their Nuclear Cooperation

Building on their cooperation and studies performed for a large NPP, Russia and Jordan have decided to intensify and step up their cooperation in the field of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).

A Project Development Agreement has been executed between Jordan Atomic Energy Commission and Rosatom Overseas to enable the parties to conduct a joint feasibility study for a Russian-designed SMR construction project in Jordan. Both parties stand to benefit from exploring the collaboration on the SMR, and the viability and potential for deployment in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan due to the changing situation in the Jordanian energy market.

“We have been cooperating with Rosatom for many years, and we are going to build on this cooperation in various spheres. Today, a potential project to construct SMR-type NPP seems more relevant and more needed, so we would like to focus on it”, said Dr. Khaled Toukan, Chairman of the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission.

“We are certain that the projects we implement have to meet current strategic needs and interests of our customers. This is exactly why we, together with our Jordanian partners, have decided to focus our cooperation on enhancing SMR technology projects based on Rosatom’s innovative solutions. The SMR technologies will certainly become one of our top priorities on the way to develop the world energy market”, pointed out Evgeny Pakermanov, President of JSC Rusatom Overseas.

Russia enjoys a first class globally respected wide range of expertise in the field of SMR energy. As early as 2019, Rosatom State Corporation is going to launch Akademic Lomonosov, its floating NPP, which will become the world’s unique reference project for nuclear power plants of this type. On top of that, Rosatom is actively developing its onshore Russian-design SMR NPP. Apart from its modular composition, one of the main advantages of the Russian-design SMR NPP is its ability to be used as a desalination and heating plant. Jordan is looking forward to benefit from all the available technologies in order to strengthen its local dependency on energy.

Russia and Jordan are cooperating closely in the human resource development area, to implement the nuclear program of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Currently, 100 Jordanian students are conducting their Bachelor, Master and other postgraduate studies and programs in major Russian universities.