In the midst of a revitalized regional drive for nuclear power, Jordan is scheduled to hold a special Parliamentary meeting of its 110-seat Chamber of Deputies on Wednesday April 18, 2007, to vote on a nuclear draft-law. If passed, the law will be the next step forward toward Jordan’s aim to utilize nuclear energy for energy and desalination production by 2015.
Jordan’s January 2007 nuclear announcement came at a time when it, along with Saudi Arabia and Egypt were expressing concerns over Iran’s nuclear ambitions. However, King Abdullah emphasized to the press and in April 16, 2007 meetings with Dr. Mohamed ElBaradei, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), that the Kingdom’s nuclear program will be used solely for peaceful purposes. Dr. ElBaradei fully supports Jordan’s bid for a peaceful nuclear program, offering the kingdom assistance in both technological and human development issues.
In a press conference following his meeting with King Abdullah, Dr. ElBaradei stated that all states have the right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy. King Abdullah seconded the IAEA minister’s sentiment calling for the creation of an Arab center for peaceful nuclear technology that he says will, “help build and modernize the realms of science, industry, agriculture and health.”
Sources of Jordan’s Nuclear Ambitions
Unlike some Middle Eastern countries pursuing nuclear energy programs (Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and Egypt), Jordan is not an oil producer. In fact, Jordan’s current large account deficit is linked to the fall of Saddam Hussein’s Iraq, as well as to recent spikes in oil prices. Prior to the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, Jordan received highly subsidized crude oil imports from Iraq, which it in turn processed at the Jordan Petroleum Refinery Company (JPRC). In the aftermath of the invasion, the government now imports 95 percent of its fuel, while subsidizing petrol to prevent a national economic disaster.
In 2004, the fuel subsidy value reached 3.2 percent and was anticipated to reach 8.5 percent by 2005. The Jordanian government, therefore, voted to gradually eliminate the fuel subsidy over the course of four years. The plan included the institution of a 16 percent tax on gasoline and diesel used for private transport, as well as measured price increases. This tax financed a portion of the government’s cost for subsidizing electricity, which is of greatest importance to the poorest members of Jordanian society.
An influx of refugees from Iraq placed further pressures on the resource poor country. In 2006, Jordan experienced a 20 percent increase in power demand and finished the year with a water deficit of 500 million cubic meters (making it one of the ten most water impoverished nations in the world). The arid, overpopulated country’s citizenry are suffering as a result, with Jordanian health officials reporting higher instances of hygiene related illness during the dry season.
Nuclear Energy as a Solution
Jordan may not have oil but it does have uranium. IAEA energy officials reported that Jordan has tens of thousands of tons of uranium reserves, which is not that surprising considering that uranium is as abundant an ore as tin. With the current uranium market price of $100 per kilo (or $50 per pound), it is possible that Jordan could one day become a uranium exporter, but for now the Kingdom would prefer to simply solve its own energy import deficits.
Nuclear energy in Jordan will be used for two purposes: to supply the country with electricity and to desalinize water. There are two proposed projects in Jordan that could alleviate water shortages. The first is a 115-mile long pipeline that would connect the Red Sea to the Dead Sea. Upon arrival, the water would be desalinated, used for hydroelectric energy, and supply fresh water for irrigation and salt to stabilize the delicate balance of 30 percent saltwater in the Dead Sea. The “Red-Dead Project” would be the largest desalination project in the world, producing 850 million cubic meters of water upon completion, which is half of the country’s projected 2010 demand. The second project would pump 170 million cubic meters of water from the Disi aquifer in south Jordan to the country’s capital, Amman. According to Zu’bi, the Jordan Water Ministry spokesman, by 2020 the water share per capita would nearly double as a result.
