‘Pilot project planned this year to produce yellow cake’

AMMAN — Jordan has completed the required design for the production of yellow cake, necessary for fuelling the country’s planned nuclear reactors, Samer Kahook, general manager of the state-owned Jordan Uranium Mining Company (JUMCO), said Wednesday.

“We have also demonstrated the production of yellow cake in our labs,” he told reporters.

Before the end of this year, Jordan will launch a pilot project that will produce several kilogrammes of yellow cake from uranium in the central parts of the country, Kahook said.

“The pilot facility will help in the final design of a JD100 million plant for the extraction of uranium and production of yellow cake,” he added.

The mega-plant, which will be designed by Jordanian manpower, will produce about 200-400 metric tonnes of yellow cake in its initial phase and its capacity can be later expanded, said Kahook.

“We have the skilled human resources at present to go ahead with these two projects, which will create lots of jobs and make use of uranium reserves in Jordan.”

At a later stage and after completion of studies on the project, a tender will be floated for the building of this mega-plant, he added, noting that Jordan will have the lion’s share in it.

The Kingdom is planning to build a nuclear power plant with two reactors with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts each. The reactors are expected to be ready by 2022 and are expected to cost around $10 billion. 

Russia is a strategic partner and a preferred bidder in the nuclear reactor project.

Jordan’s central area is home to 36,389 metric tonnes of uranium oxide that can easily be mined and extracted cost effectively, according to a study by experts at JUMCO, in cooperation with an international team of experts.