French nuclear engineering firm Areva is to help Jordan pave the way in the development of a nuclear energy sector after signing a “historic” mining agreement.
Areva and the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) have reached a deal giving the French firm the rights to explore and mine uranium resources in central Jordan. The agreement follows an initial agreement signed by the two companies in October 2008 for the joint exploration of the zone.
Under the terms of the agreement, Areva will mine the deposit for 25 years. It says that it will pursue the exploration activities that it started in 2009 and will also carry out a feasibility study covering the environmental, economical and technical aspects of the project prior to starting production.
Areva is keen to gain a foothold in the emergent nuclear industry in the Middle East, where several countries are planning the construction of nuclear power plants to meet rapidly rising electricity demand.
Earlier this year a joint bid by Areva and French utility EDF for the construction of the first nuclear units in Abu Dhabi was rejected in favour of a South Korean bid.
Some of the uranium produced at the planned mine in Jordan will be used in the country’s planned nuclear power plants.
Jordan has low-cost uranium resources of 140 000 tU, plus another 59 000 tU in phosphate deposits, according to the World Nuclear Association.