CNNC Plans To Bid For Jordan’s $3.5 Billion Nuclear Power Plant Construction Contract

Published: 21-Apr-2009

By: Staff Writer Staff Writer Staff Writer

China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) might join the bidding to construct $3.5 billion nuclear power plant in Jordan, said Khaled Toukan, chairman of Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC). Toukan said that it might take three years to select the contractor and a further four or five years to construct the plant, which would have generating capacity of at least 1 gigawatt (GW), or more.

The other companies competing for the right to construct the plant are Areva S.A., Korea Electric Power Corporation, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited and JSC Atomstroyexport.

Others, including CNNC, may join the bidding process, given there is still some time before the decision will be made, Toukan said.

Toukan said that at 1 GW, the plant would cost $3.3 billion to 3.5 billion and is estimated to generate around one quarter of Jordan's electricity. The country has to select a site for the reactor and a lack of water was complicating the issue.

Jordan has reasonably secured resources of around 70,000 metric tonnes of uranium oxide in centre of the country.

Toukan said that an Jordanian joint venture with Areva is exploring one block which is estimated to start production in 2012-13, while a partnership with China's Sino (U) is in early stage of exploring two blocks.

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