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Ammon News - Power generation, water desalination and hydrogen production from nuclear energy are expected to start at the beginning of the next decade, said Khalid Toukan, Chairman of the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC).

Toukan made the remarks during a symposium on Wednesday, under the title "Achievements of the Jordan's Nuclear Program", saying that the commission is mulling the designs of the fourth generation of small modular nuclear reactors to be used for these purposes.

A site near the southern city of Aqaba was chosen by the JAEC to build these reactors, he indicated, noting that the commission is cooperating with the Ministry of Water to study the economic feasibility of water desalination using small modular reactors.

The Jordan Research and Training Reactor at the Jordan University for Science and Technology is one-of-a-kind in the Levant, operating in 2017 with a capacity of 5 megawattthermal, the JAEC chairman said, pointing out that the compound houses a nuclear reactor, a training and educational center, and units for manufacturing and producing radioisotopes. It also includes 11 hot cells and a special facility for the treatment of low and medium radioactive waste.

He also underscored that the reactor produces 3,293 shipments of radioactive iodine which is used to treat cancer patients in Jordan, adding that work is underway to develop the production of Holmium and Technetium for nuclear medicine purposes.

Toukan said that around JD114 million were invested in this nuclear project, of those JD52 million were paid for by the government, and the remaining amount was covered by a 30-year soft loan from South Korea with a 10-year grace period at an interest rate of 2 percent.