On April 2-3, 2017, Amman played host to the International Energy Summit – one of the region’s most significant and large-scale energy forums, held under the auspices of King Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein. The ROSATOM acted as a partner of the Summit.
The Summit brought together heads of energy authorities of Jordan and other Middle East states, as well as representatives of international, regional and national nuclear and renewable energy organizations and regulatory bodies, industry experts and leading industry players. Within the framework of the panel sessions, the participants discussed topical issues of the region’s energy industry, energy mix diversification, improved security of supply and a shift towards a low-carbon economy.
Rusatom Overseas’ (a subsidiary of ROSATOM) vice-president Milos Mostecky took part in the summit, where he expanded on pioneering Russian nuclear solutions that provide a stable source of baseload power and will enable a balanced development of Jordan’s energy system in the near future. ‘Jordan’s first NPP construction project involves the creation of an infrastructure that will have a positive impact on the country’s economic development. Firstly, we’re talking about thousands of jobs – at peak times, up to 10,000 specialists can be involved in the NPP construction,’ Milos Mostecky stressed. According to Mostecky, the Russian technology chosen for the construction of Jordan’s first NPP complies with the most stringent international safety and security standards, while the nuclear reactor design is among the most widely referenced in the world.
‘It’s worth noting that Jordan’s first NPP project has references not only in Russia but well beyond it: specifically, Units 1 and 2 of the Kudankulam NPP in India are already operational, while Units 3 and 4 are currently under construction,’ Mostecky remarked. He also made a point that the Russia is ready to provide Jordan any necessary assistance in the development of its nuclear programme.
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Jordan’s first NPP construction project has been in the works since 2011, when the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission announced a tender for the NPP’s construction.
Russia won the tender bid in the autumn of 2013. On September 22, 2014, Rusatom Overseas and JAEC signed a project development agreement (PDA) for the construction of Jordan’s first NPP ; in March 2015, Jordan and Russia signed an intergovernmental agreement on the cooperation in the implementation of Jordan’s first NPP construction project which is to feature two VVER-1000-type reactors. In accordance with the PDA, the project is currently at a pre-investment stage, which involves detailed work on the project’s key specifications and financing structure, as well as a feasibility study.