Ammon News - AMMONNEWS - Director General of Jordan Nuclear Power Company Ahmad Hiyasat expected Jordan's first nuclear plant to be operational during 2024-2025.

Hiyasat said in a press statement on Saturday that the company and the Jordan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) are cooperating with a consultative company to prepare detailed studies of the site and the environmental impact of the nuclear plant.

He added that the project entails building two nuclear reactors with a total capacity of 2,000 megawatts at a total cost of JD7 billion.

The three parties are cooperating to prepare the detailed studies of the project, which is expected to be carried out at the Qusayr Amra region east of Amman. The studies will be presented to the Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission's (EMRC), the Ministry of Environment and then to the local community for approval.

Last year, Jordan signed an inter-governmental agreement with Russia to build and operate the first nuclear power plant.

JAEC Chairman Khaled Toukan and head of Russia’s state-run corporation Rosatom, Sergei Kiriyenko, signed the agreement on behalf of the Jordanian and Russian governments.

In October 2013, Jordan contracted Russia's Rosatom to build the country’s first two nuclear reactors that are expected to be operational by 2024.

Jordan will cover 50.1 per cent of the Engineering Procurement Construction (EPC) contract, While Rosatom will cover 49.9 per cent as investor and operator of the nuclear plants.