Khaled Toqan, head of Jordan’s Nuclear Authority, said that recent discoveries of uranium deposits would indicate that Jordan would be able to export raw uranium (yellow cake) which is a key ingredient of nuclear fuel.

The mining of the uranium is being done in collaboration with the French government-owned company Areva. Initial estimates suggest that there are 65,000 tons of uranium reserves in the central area of the Kingdom.

Toqan said that initially the country will mine 2,000 tons of uranium that will be used as a fuel for the nuclear power plant that Jordan plans to construct.

Jordan has entered into agreements with France, China, Russia, Canada, Britain, South Korea and Argentina for the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Source: Akhbar Al-Khaleej, Bahrain, October 25, 2009