An International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expert mission has concluded that reports compiled by the Jordanian Atomic Energy Commission will provide a good basis for a feasibility study into Jordan’s use of small modular reactors (SMRs) for generating electricity generation and desalinizing seawater.
Jordan is considering the use of an SMR to provide the necessary electricity to operate a reverse osmosis desalination plant. The SMR will also pump an estimated four hundred million cubic yards of drinking water each year from the Red Sea coast to the capital Amman which is about two hundred and fifty miles away and two thousand three hundred feet above sea level.
The IAEA expert review mission was held at its Vienna headquarters in August of 2023. The review team consisted of eighteen IAEA staff and three external experts. It evaluated whether reports submitted by the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) included all the required information to support decision making for deploying an SMR for power generation and desalination. Areas covered by the IAEA review included nuclear power technology and safety, siting and licensing, nuclear desalination, nuclear law and stakeholder engagement, among others.
The IAEA mission found that Jordan’s reports provide a good basis for a feasibility study. The mission also suggested areas where work could be expanded or improved. These included conducting a study on the selection of the nuclear unit size while taking into account the need to strengthen electric connections to the nodal points of the grid and neighboring countries. Exploration of potential alternative fuel suppliers was also suggested.
Khalid Khasawneh is the Commissioner for Nuclear Power Reactors at JAEC. He said, “This endeavor exemplified an agency-wide collaborative effort that addressed all aspects of the feasibility study, providing essential guidance on IAEA services that Jordan could benefit from in enhancing the assessment and progress of our SMR project.”
The IAEA said that Jordan was one of a growing number of countries that have expressed interest in deploying SMRs. To better assist such countries, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi established the SMR Platform in 2021 to provide coordinated, agency-wide support on all aspects of SMR development, deployment and oversight.
The mission followed an IAEA workshop last year in Amman which explored the technologies and requirements for the development of nuclear desalinization.