Energy In Jordan

[lealfonse]

By Taylor Luck

AMMAN - The Kingdom will tap its natural gas reserves to meet rising energy needs under agreements signed by the government and British Petroleum (BP) on Sunday.

Four agreements were signed between BP, the government and the National Petroleum Company (NPC) at the Prime Ministry yesterday to open up the Risheh natural gas field in the east of the Kingdom.

In the first phase of the project, according to the agreement, BP will spend three to four years exploring the area, a plot measuring around 7,000 square kilometres along the Jordanian-Iraqi border, at an estimated cost of $237 million.

If proven economically feasible, BP will then provide $8-$10 billion in investment in hopes of extracting 330 million cubic feet (mcf) of gas from the field per day, with the potential of producing 1 billion cubic feet daily.

During the signing ceremony, attended by Prime Minister Nader Dahabi and BP Chief of Exploration Michael Daly, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Khaldoun Qteishat noted that the largest known natural gas field in the Kingdom currently produces around 21mcf of natural gas per day.

Under the first phase, the NPC and BP aim to increase the daily capacity of the gas field, some 360 kilometres east of Amman, to 50mcf within three years.

The government will receive 50 per cent of the output generated by the project, with the other half going to BP and the National Petroleum Company, NPC head Fayez Suheimat said during the signing, according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.

If developments go according to plan, Jordan will become an energy exporter, Petra quoted Qteishat as saying.

The agreement, which was 18 months in the making, is expected to go before the Lower House for approval in the next ordinary session.

Discovered in 1989, the Risheh gas field has been producing around 18mcf of natural gas daily over the last decade.

Recent discoveries have raised the existing 20 wells’ production to around 21mcf per day to fuel the Risheh Power Plant.

The development of the Risheh gas field is seen as essential to the revised national energy strategy, under which natural gas is to account for 29 per cent of the Kingdom’s energy needs.

Jordan currently imports 96 per cent of its energy needs at a cost of around one-fifth of its gross domestic product.

26 October 2009


http://www.jordantimes.com/index.php?news=21044

[yazm1991]

Originally Posted by lealfonse

Jordan currently imports 96 per cent of its energy needs at a cost of around one-fifth of its gross domestic product.

Thats amazing, when you think about it.

Hopefully when Jordan starts producing its own energy it will cost less than importing it from other nations.

[lealfonse]

By Mohammad Ghazal

AMMAN - His Majesty King Abdullah on Monday officially inaugurated the $300 million Amman East Power Project, which officials said will help increase Jordan's electricity generation capacity by approximately 15 per cent.

The 370-megawatt (MW) combined cycle power plant, located 30 kilometres east of Amman, was built by AES Jordan PSC, a company owned by a consortium of AES Oasis Ltd. and Mitsui and Co. Ltd., which also owns and operates the plant.

The King also toured the plant and was briefed on its generation phases.

"The plant will help meet the surging demand on electricity in the Kingdom," Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Khaldoun Qteishat told reporters.

According to the minister, demand on electricity in Jordan increases by about 7.4 per cent annually.

The facility, Jordan's first independent power plant, runs on the natural gas provided by the pan-Arab gas pipeline from Egypt. The plant will be capable of switching to diesel fuel oil if needed, a statement by the company said, noting that the plant is an environment-friendly plant.

The strategic 270-kilometre gas pipeline between Jordan and Egypt was inaugurated by King Abdullah and Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in July 2003. The line is the first phase of an inter-regional project that costs more than $1 billion.

According to the ministry, the Kingdom relies on natural gas for 80 per cent of its energy needs. In remarks at the inauguration ceremony, Qteishat said the project is an important demonstration of the success of the country's energy strategy.

The Kingdom currently imports some 96 per cent of its energy needs, accounting for over one-fifth of its gross domestic product.

The minister said the financial closure for another independent plant, Al Qatraneh, is imminent, adding that the facility will generate about 370MW.

In their remarks at the ceremony, representatives of the consortium and implementing companies pointed out the benefits of the project, which, in the construction phase, hired 1,000 Jordanians and created about 40 direct jobs for local residents.

They also highlighted the potential of the project to help increase the Kingdom's power generation and enable it to eventually export electricity.

The Amman East Power Project will deliver electricity to the National Electric Power Company through a 25-year power purchase agreement.



27 October 2009

http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=21078

[lealfonse]

Production could reach several hundred million cubic feet per day

Trowers & Hamlins, the City and International law firm, has acted as legal advisor to the National Petroleum Company of Jordan in the negotiation and structuring of an agreement that will allow BP to explore and potentially develop gas resources in the Risha concession in northeast Jordan. The project agreement, which will be submitted to the Jordanian Parliament, was signed in Amman on October 25, 2009.

BP, which has substantial expertise in managing tight gas fields around the world, is seeking to bring its advanced technology and deep expertise to the Risha development. The Risha field, which consists of a complex "tight gas" geological structure, produces approximately 20 million cubic feet a day of gas at current output. BP. has significant expertise in managing tight gas fields around the world, in North America, North Africa and the Middle East. It is hoped that if BP's exploration program identifies commercially producible gas reserves, production could reach several hundred million cubic feet per day.

Trowers and Hamlins provided legal advice to the NPC to develop a project agreement that enabled BP to successfully conclude a farm into the Risha project, whilst maintaining the integrity of NPCN''s existing concession.

Martin Amison, Partner and Head of International for Trowers & Hamlins, said: "We have been working in Jordan for many years and are delighted to have worked on this very significant project, which is key to Jordan's Energy Master Plan."

We are particularly pleased to have acted as legal advisor to NPC on these agreements as they have the potential to make an enormous contribution to Jordan's continuing economic development by tapping into a previously unexploited resource.

Eng. Qutaiba Abu Qorah, the Director General of the National Petroleum Company, added, "BP is an ideal partner for the development of the Risha concession. BP has committed to investing a significant amount of capital on the exploration of gas resources in northeast Jordan. This project has important implications for Jordan's national energy policy. If BP's exploration program proves to be successful, the gas produced will help to reduce Jordan's reliance on imported energy."

Trowers & Hamlins worked in partnership with CRA International (CRA) on this project. CRA are a worldwide leader in providing management, economic, and financial consulting services. CRA and Trowers & Hamlins have previously on several other successful assignments in Jordan.

The two firms recently assisted the Jordanian government in negotiating a significant oil shale concession with Shell and are currently advising on a series of smaller oil shale concessions. They also worked together on the Jordan Gas Transmission Pipeline project and the related long-term purchase of Egyptian gas; the development of Jordan's Energy Master Plan; restructuring of the Natural Resources Authority; and early stage development of Jordan's wind energy projects.

Trowers & Hamlins was led by Martin Amison, Partner and Head of International.

- Ends -

Notes to editors
Trowers & Hamlins is an international and City law firm with 117 partners and over 700 staff. They have five offices in the Middle East (Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Dubai, Cairo and Oman) as well as formal association and/or co-operation agreements with firms in Saudi Arabia, Syria and Jordan.

Trowers & Hamlins were appointed to advise the Government of Jordan ahead of a number of leading international law firms in a competitive tendering process.

Trowers & Hamlins has one of the pre-eminent legal practices in Jordan and has acted on a number of major projects in the Kingdom.

[lealfonse]

Tuesday, Nov 10, 2009

BEIRUT (Zawya Dow Jones)--Jordan's Natural Resources has completed talks with Estonia's Eesti Energia Co. about a multi-billion-dollar oil shale and power project in Jordan, Amman-based Ad-Dustour daily reports Tuesday.

The NRA (Natural Resources Authority( will prepare the draft agreement and then will refer it to the council of ministers which will issue a special law for a concession in the project's site in Attarat Um Ghudran area, the paper reports citing Maher Hijazin, NRA In parallel to the oil shale task, Eesti Energia will set up a $1.5 billion power generation plant that will use the gas derived from the oil shale operations to produce electricity at a capacity of 600-900 megawatts, he added.

[lealfonse]

By Taylor Luck

AMMAN - A lack of local research and cohesive policies may prevent the Kingdom from meeting the national energy strategy’s goals, experts warned on Wednesday.

The lack of action on renewable energy and energy efficiency has delayed the implementation of the national energy strategy, which calls for over half of the country’s electricity demand to be met by domestically produced energy by 2020, experts said during the International Conference and Exhibition on Green Energy and Sustainability for Arid Regions and Mediterranean Countries.

“I am afraid we will miss our strategy’s goals,” Ahmed Salameh, head of the University of Jordan energy centre, said during a session in the three-day conference, sponsored by Hashemite University.

Lack of local research in oil shale has also hindered the development of oil shale extraction and retorting in the Kingdom, experts said, noting that a majority of samples are currently shipped outside the Kingdom to be analysed.

They argued that domestic research would speed up the process in local projects and developments to make the technology more affordable.

The energy law, which was to have laid out guidelines for investment in the sector, was recently withdrawn from Parliament - a move seen as a “setback” to efforts to encourage investment in Jordan’s renewable energy potential.

Negotiations between the government and Terna Energy SA for the country’s first wind power plant have stalled over electricity tariffs, and tender for a solar thermal power project in Wadi Rum has yet to be prepared, authorities said.

Currently, the only renewable energy project in the pipeline is Shaams Maan Solar Energy, while the government has signed alternative energy mega-projects with Royal Dutch Shell and British Petroleum for the development of oil shale oil and natural gas, respectively.

The Kingdom currently imports 96 per cent of its energy needs at a cost of around 20 per cent of its gross domestic product.

The national energy strategy calls for 10 per cent of the country’s energy demands to be met by renewable energy sources, 29 per cent by natural gas, 14 per cent from oil shale, and 6 per cent from nuclear energy within the next decade.

12 November 2009

http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=21533

[lealfonse]

By Taylor Luck

AMMAN - Jordan will sign an agreement next week with Australian consulting firm WorleyParsons to prepare the foundations for the country’s first nuclear power plant.

According to the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC), the agency is to sign an agreement on Sunday with the company for the pre-construction phase for a 1,000-megawatt (MW) power plant.

Under the agreement, expected to be around $11.3 million, the Australian firm will carry out technology selection and assist in fuel cycle engineering and waste management for the plant, slated to be built near Aqaba.

As part of the agreement, WorleyParsons will prepare the tender and aid in evaluating bidders for the plant’s construction, according to the JAEC.

The firm will also assist in establishing a utility company, expected to be a public-private entity, to own and operate the plant, JAEC Commissioner Khaled Toukan has told The Jordan Times previously.

Earlier this year, WorleyParsons was named the consultant for Egypt’s first nuclear power plant, a 1,200MW reactor. The Sydney-based company has also provided consultation for the Belene nuclear power plant near Sofia in Bulgaria and is actively working to prepare for a nuclear power plant in Armenia, according to the firm’s website.

Regionally, WorleyParsons has been involved in energy megaprojects in Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Yemen, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

The Kingdom’s peaceful nuclear power programme aims to establish up to four reactors with the potential of producing 60 per cent of the country’s energy needs by 2035. Energy officials have expressed interest in utilising the Kingdom’s vast uranium resources, estimated at over 140,000 tonnes, for the programme.

Jordan has previously signed nuclear cooperation agreements with France, Canada, South Korea, Russia, China, the UK and Argentina.


12 November 2009

http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=21536

[yazm1991]

JAEC signs landmark deal with Australian partner

Jordan on Sunday took a “historic” step Sunday towards becoming a nuclear country with an agreement signed between the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) and Australian firm WorleyParsons.

The deal represents a “major milestone and a significant step forward towards Jordan’s energy independence”, JAEC Chairman Khaled Toukan said during the signing ceremony.

Under the $11.3 million agreement, which covers the pre-construction preparations for the country’s first nuclear reactor, the Sydney-based firm will spend two years conducting an economic feasibility study and technology selection for the country’s first nuclear power plant, slated to be built near Aqaba.

Toukan added at the ceremony, which took place at the commission’s offices, that depending on financing, JAEC and WorleyParsons will select the technology for two nuclear reactors to be built and developed in parallel.

According to the JAEC head, the commission has narrowed its choice to five Generation III reactor types: a water-conscious reactor from French firm AREVA, the Canadian Enhanced Candu 6, the South Korean Kepco’s APR 1400 and two Russian Rosatom reactors, each with the potential of generating between 1,000-1,200 megawatts.

Under an open and competitive process, WorleyParsons will aid the commission in narrowing the field down to the final strategic partner to sign a contract by late 2012, Toukan told The Jordan Times.

“This contract is not just a document, but a milestone of historical importance to Jordan,” WorleyParsons Senior Vice President Djurica Tankosich said during the signing ceremony.

Tankosich stressed that the firm, which has aided in the construction of 16 nuclear reactors in the US, Europe and Asia, does not have any affiliation with nuclear technology suppliers and will ensure an unbiased technology selection process.

“We are proud to say that we are uniquely technologically neutral,” he said, noting that with the promise of Jordan’s peaceful nuclear programme, the Kingdom will face “commercial and political pressure” in its evaluation process.

Under the agreement, WorleyParsons will aid in establishing the Jordan nuclear electric utility company to own and run the nuclear power plant, Toukan told The Jordan Times previously.

The utility is to be established under a public-private partnership model, owned by private investors, international donor institutions and the government.

In its technology selection and financial feasibility studies, WorleyParsons will work in parallel with the Belgium firm Tractabel, which is currently examining potential locations for the reactor in Aqaba.

The firm will also be tasked with issues related to the reactor’s long-term nuclear fuel strategy, Toukan said, noting that the Kingdom will begin tapping its strategic reserves of uranium by establishing three major mines within the next few years.

The government is close to concluding a concession agreement with French firm AREVA, he noted, while an upcoming deal with British-Australian Rio-Tinto will open up the southern region to uranium exploration and mining.

The Australian consultant’s tasks will also include management of spent fuel and radioactive waste, environmental protection issues, comprehensive financing and nuclear security, according to the JAEC.

The firm is currently assisting the Egyptian government in the establishment of its first nuclear power reactor.

As the regions share similar geology and environment, Jordan will receive “all the benefits” of their experience in Egypt and elsewhere, Tankosich said.

Toukan underlined that the project has the potential to create 1,000 job opportunities and is set to save the treasury “billions” in light of rising energy demands and fluctuating fossil fuel prices.

The 24-month contract period can be extended to a third year if additional services are needed, Toukan added.

The Kingdom’s peaceful nuclear programme aims to build up to four nuclear reactors with the potential to provide 60 per cent of the country’s needs by 2035.

[yazm1991]

Maan zone candidate to host $1.5b ‘solar farms’

Maan Development Area (MDA) will host three separate plants to be constructed by renewable energy companies to produce electricity from solar power at a total cost of $1.5 billion, a senior executive said.

President of Maan Development Company (MDC) Mohammad Turk, whose organisation runs the affairs of the development zone, said on Wednesday that the company has signed separate memoranda of understanding (MoU) with the companies, which are currently studying the feasibility of these projects, each expected to produce 100 megawatts of electricity annually.

The three investors are: Jordan’s Bader Investments, US-based Millennium and a consortium of Jordanian Shams Maan and an Italian company. Each deal is worth $500 million, according to Turk.

Under the MOUs, MDC will provide the companies with the plots of land and infrastructure facilities needed to set up their “solar farms”.

Turk was speaking on the sidelines of a seminar in Maan organised by the German embassy in Amman on the potential of renewable energy in the Kingdom and the chances of utilising for energy purposes the year-round sunshine in the Governorate of Maan, which constitutes one-third of the Kingdom’s total land area.

Since it was established 26 months ago, MDC has managed to attract more than $200 million in investments, mainly in glass, tanning, light steel and construction materials industries, Turk said, adding that the company is working to attract more investments in the renewable energy sector, especially after the expected endorsement of the renewable energy bill, currently under formulation, which, the official said, will facilitate investment in this field.

During the seminar, German Ambassador in Amman Joachim Heidorn highlighted the increasing joint cooperation between the two countries at various levels, adding that the trade volume between Jordan and Germany this year is expected to match last year’s figures of around $750 million.

“Jordan, in general, and Maan, in particular, are blessed with a shining sun the year-round. This has to be made use of in a way that can reduce Jordan’s consumption of traditional energy,” Heidorn said at the seminar, which was attended by Maan Mayor Khaled Al Khattab, the head of Maan’s chamber of commerce and industry, Abdullah Salah, other senior Maan officials and representatives from the local community.

“Germany is willing to harness its technology in renewable energy to assist the Kingdom to utilise the great potential it has in this field, either solar or wind energies,” the German envoy said, highlighting that 10 per cent of Germany’s energy comes from renewable energy, which has also created 250,000 jobs in that country.

An exhibition showcasing the latest German technologies in renewable energy, also organised by the embassy, took place in Maan parallel to the conference.

Heidorn told The Jordan Times yesterday that the embassy hoped through organising the exhibition to bring together leading German companies in the field with potential Jordanian investors who are interested in engaging in joint investments.

Moreover, Muhyiddine Tawalbeh, from the National Energy Research Centre, said the Kingdom’s energy bill in 2007 stood at JD2.3 billion, constituting 56.4 of the country’s gross exports and 20.3 per cent of its gross domestic product.

Tawalbeh noted that 65 per cent of the energy consumed in the Kingdom depends on oil, 32 per cent on imported liquid gas and only 2 per cent on renewable energy.

“The Kingdom’s national energy strategy aspires to increase the use of renewable energy to 10 per cent by the year 2020,” he said in a presentation yesterday.

Meanwhile, Heidorn, during a visit to Al Hussein Ben Talal University, expressed his country’s willingness to increase cultural exchange programmes with Jordanian universities, citing the German-Jordan University, in which 1,700 students are currently studying, and adding that the number of students is expected to reach 5,000 during the coming few years.

[lealfonse]

By Taylor Luck

AMMAN - A delegation from the US Department of Energy is currently on a visit to the Kingdom in preparation for a megaproject to enhance ongoing nuclear security measures across the country.

The delegation arrived earlier this week to prepare along with the Jordan Nuclear Regulatory Commission (JNRC) for the Megaports Project to bolster security at the Kingdom’s entry points and prevent illicit trafficking in nuclear and radioactive materials.

The delegation of 13 officials and engineers will spend the next week reviewing specifications of the Kingdom’s borders and ports for the installation of new state-of-the-art radiation portal monitors under the initiative, JNRC Spokesperson Yumn Habjouqa told The Jordan Times yesterday.

The Megaports Project entails increasing the number and quality of radiation monitoring stations in the country and training JNRC staff.

Currently, 12 such stations are present at entry points including the Jordan-Syria Free Zone and the Aqaba Port as well as the Jaber and Karama border crossings.

The new monitoring equipment is expected to increase inspections and detection of radioactive materials at the country’s border crossings, some of which receive up to 8,000 trucks per day, according to the commission.

The delegates are expected to visit monitoring facilities within Jordan and at the country’s borders, with installation of the new equipment expected to begin by the end of the month, according to the commission.

The megaproject comes in light of major upcoming developments in the Kingdom's peaceful nuclear programme, such as the subcritical assembly of the nuclear research reactor in Irbid, estimated to begin within two years, and uranium mining, expected to commence in 2012.

Recent developments also include the formation of the National Nuclear Safety and Security Committee, which has convened twice to increase authorities' coordination on nuclear safety.

The committee, headed by the JNRC, comprises the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission, the Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of Interior, the Public Security Department, the Civil Defence Department, the Jordan Armed Forces, the General Intelligence Department and the Legislation Bureau.

Authorities expect the construction of the country’s first nuclear reactor, slated for a site near Aqaba, within the next decade.

3 December 2009

http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=22040

[yazm1991]

S. Korean bidder to build nuclear research reactor

The Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) on Thursday announced the selection of a South Korean consortium to build the Kingdom’s first small-scale nuclear reactor.

A consortium of the Korea Atomic Energy Institute (KAERI) and Daewoo Engineering and Construction won the bid for the country’s first nuclear research reactor, a five-megawatt (MW) structure expected to be built at the Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST).

In a statement issued yesterday, JAEC research reactor evaluation committee chairman and project manager, Ned Xoubi, said “the consortium was selected after an evaluation of four bids submitted by international companies since January” of this year.

The technical and financial terms of the contract with the Korean consortium will be set in the next few months, Xoubi said, adding that he expects work on the reactor to begin in early 2010.

The research reactor will be the focal point of the JUST Jordanian Nuclear Science and Technology Centre, and will provide training for “generations of nuclear engineers and scientists in the Kingdom”, according to the JAEC.

The reactor will also produce radioisotopes for the industrial, agricultural and medical sectors in addition to other nuclear services to offset operational costs, Xoubi told The Jordan Times previously.

Jordanian experts set the technical evaluation criteria for the winning bid in consultation with the International Atomic Energy Agency and reactor experts from France, Australia, Egypt and Morocco, the commission said.

The research reactor is considered by officials to be an important precursor to the Kingdom's first nuclear power plant, a 750-1,000MW Generation III reactor to be built in an area southeast of Aqaba.

With plans in place to construct four nuclear power plants within the next 30 years, nuclear power has the potential to provide the Kingdom with up to 60 per cent of its energy needs by 2035.

[lealfonse]

I find these in Korean Times and it has better Information about jordan nuclear reactor.

By Kim Tong-hyung
Staff Reporter

A Korean consortium was picked to build Jordan's first small-scale nuclear research reactor, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said Friday.

The 200 billion won (about $173 million) deal represents Korea's first export of a locally-designed nuclear plant, ministry officials said, and may help the country find a niche in the global nuclear power plant market dominated by countries such as France, Argentina and Russia.

A consortium of the Korea Atomic Energy Institute (KAERI), and Daewoo Engineering and Construction won the bid to build the five-megawatt (MW) reactor at Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST) in Irbid, 70 kilometers north of Amman, with construction expected to be completed around 2014, government officials said.

The consortium edged out three other international companies, including Argentina's INVAP, China's CNNC and Russia's Atom Story Export (ASE) to be named by the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) as the preferred bidder for the project. A formal deal is expected to be inked in March.

``This is the most brilliant achievement so far in the 50-year history of the Korean nuclear industry. The deal will give us a chance to step up as a big-three producer of research reactors along with Argentina and Russia,'' Ahn Byung-man, minister of education, science and technology, said in a news conference in Seoul.

Ahn downplayed the possibility that the Korea-U.S. Atomic Energy Agreement would create any complications for the Jordan reactor project.

``Since the technology to be exported to Jordan is homemade, and developed for the construction of the HANARO research reactor, there won't any problems,'' he said.

Research reactors, also called non-power reactors, are nuclear reactors that serve primarily as a neutron source and used for research purposes, in contrast to power reactors, which are used for electricity production or submarine propulsion.

The neutrons produced by research reactors are used for non-destructive testing, analysis of materials, production of radioisotopes, research and education.

Currently, there are about 240 research reactors operating around the world, and 50 new units are expected to be completed within the next 15 years, ministry officials said.

Since purchasing the now-retired TRIGA Mark-II from the United States in 1959, Korea has been developing its own technologies for designing and building research reactors. The country unveiled its own research reactor, the 30-megawatt High-flux Advanced Neutron Application Reactor (HANARO), in 1995, and has been seeking export opportunities ever since.

An export of a larger research reactor, around the 20-megawatt level, will be good enough to fetch around 200 to 300 billion won, Lee Jong-min, a KAERI researcher said.

``So 50 new research reactors coming in the next 15 years means that a new market worth about 10 to 20 trillion won will be generated.

Korean companies hope to win a meaningful piece of that market, but considering that the market for research reactors is less crowded than the nuclear power plant side, we will have a better chance to create ourselves a niche,'' Lee said.

``Although this is our first export in research reactors, we have been gaining experience in the international market over the past years. KAERI has been involved in projects to improve aged research reactors in Greece and Thailand, where we are also cooperating with the country's plans to build new reactors. We are also involved in similar efforts in countries such as Vietnam, South Africa, Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan.

The reactor in JUST will be used for producing radioisotopes for industrial, agricultural and medical purposes, and will also be used for training local engineers and scientists, the Korean science ministry said.

Jordan expects the research reactor to contribute to its efforts to build its first nuclear power plant, a 1,000-megawatt Generation III reactor planned near Aqaba, sometime around 2015.

The country plans to have four nuclear power plants within the next 30 years, with nuclear power providing up to 60 percent of its energy needs by 2035.

``The current project will require five years and about 700 personnel, and most of the equipment and machinery will be Korean made,'' said Lee.

``About 97 percent of the whole design and construction process will be based on Korean technology, when calculated in cost. However, the fuel used in the reactor will be purchased from a foreign provider and a Jordanian construction company will be picked to build the reactor based on our blueprint.''

thkim@koreatimes.co.kr

[yazm1991]

Cheers for that.

[lealfonse]

By Taylor Luck

AMMAN - Preconstruction consultations on Jordan’s first nuclear reactor got under way on Sunday, the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) announced.

The commission and the National Electric Power Company held a “kick-off meeting”, presided over by JAEC Chairman Khaled Toukan, with Australian firm WorleyParsons, the consultant for the preconstruction preparations for the country's first nuclear reactor.

In their first meeting since signing an agreement last month, JAEC and the consultant firm formed a steering committee to review the technical, legal and financial issues pertaining to the construction of the plant, slated to be a Generation III reactor with a potential of generating around 1,000 megawatts of electricity.

As part of its work, WorleyParsons will support Belgian firm Tractabel Engineering in its site selection study, while laying the foundations and safety standards governing the establishment of sites for future nuclear plants, according to a JAEC statement.

In addition, joint subcommittees were formed to develop human resources within the Kingdom.

Under an $11.3 million agreement signed last month, the Sydney-based firm will spend two years conducting an economic feasibility study and technology selection for the country's first nuclear power plant, slated to be built near Aqaba.

Depending on financing, JAEC and WorleyParsons may select the technology for two nuclear reactors to be built and developed in parallel, Toukan previously told The Jordan Times.

According to the JAEC chairman, the commission has narrowed its choice to five Generation III reactor types: A water-conscious reactor from French firm AREVA, the Canadian Enhanced Candu 6, South Korean Kepco's APR 1400 and two Russian Rosatom reactors.

Under a competitive process, WorleyParsons is expected to aid the commission in narrowing the field down to the final strategic partner to sign a contract by late 2012.

The Kingdom's peaceful nuclear programme aims to build up to four nuclear reactors with the potential to provide 60 per cent of the country's needs by 2035.



7 December 2009


http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=22134

[lealfonse]

By Taylor Luck

AMMAN - The government has reached an agreement with an Estonian firm for the country's first large-scale oil shale mining operation.

The Natural Resource Authority (NRA) reached an agreement with Eesti Energia to extract and retort shale reserves in the Kingdom's central region, NRA Director Maher Hijazeen told The Jordan Times on Saturday.

The project, estimated to cost $6 billion, entails over 300 stages and includes the development of full-scale oil shale extraction and retorting in a 30-square-kilometre concession area in Al Attarat in the central region, he added.

Hijazeen expected extraction and retorting activities to reach full capacity, with a potential output of 36,000 barrels of oil daily, within eight to 10 years.

The final draft of the agreement is expected to be presented to the Cabinet within the next few weeks. As Parliament has been dissolved, the Cabinet may approve the agreement through a temporary law, Hijazeen noted.

Eesti Energia previously conducted a two-year feasibility study indicating that one of the Kingdom's two dozen locations rich in oil shale deposits has the potential to produce over 30,000 barrels a day.

Prior to the retorting process, oil shale is mined from the ground and then most often crushed. The crushed shale is taken to be retorted and the resulting oil upgraded through further processing before being sent to a refinery.

In areas south of Amman and north of Maan, oil shale is present 40-60 metres below the surface, making it suitable for extraction, according to the NRA.

There are 23 known surface and near-surface deposits, including Al Lajjun, Sultani, Jurf Al Darawish, Attarat Um Al Ghudran, Wadi Maghar, Siwaga, Khan Al Zabib and Al Thamad.

Previous NRA studies have revealed that 40 billion tonnes of oil shale exist at 21 sites concentrated near the Yarmouk River, Buweida, Beit Ras, Rweished, Karak, Madaba and Maan.

Earlier this year, the government entered a deal with Royal Dutch Shell Oil Company entailing the in-situ extraction of oil shale in the eastern parts of the Kingdom, where shale deposits are found at very deep levels and cannot be mined using conventional methods.



20 December 2009

http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=22486

[lealfonse]

By Hani Hazaimeh

AMMAN - Despite the Kingdom's abundant sunlight and limited conventional energy resources, solar thermal power accounts for only 2 per cent of Jordan's energy use, while more than 95 of energy is imported, according to a Department of Statistics (DoS) report issued on Wednesday.

Only 12 per cent of Jordanian families use solar power for heating systems at home, the report said, adding that the cost of installing solar-powered heaters, currently between JD400-JD500, is among the reasons preventing the expansion of solar thermal usage among the citizens.

Despite its expense, prohibitive for low-income families, the DoS said the cost of installing this technology can be recouped within the first four years of its use as it will cut down the monthly expenses of households using other heating systems by 70 per cent.

Solar thermal power has several advantages over traditional photovoltaic units, which are often used in the Kingdom for water heaters and small-scale solar power installations, the department said, urging the government to subsidise this sector as it would significantly reduce the country's increasing energy bill.

"Lack of support and funding by the government to encourage its use, insufficient space on the surface of most buildings and inadequate skilled hands for the maintenance of solar heaters are also reasons that make people resort to other resources for heating systems," the DoS report said.

Muhyiddine Tawalbeh from the National Energy Research Centre, said last month that the Kingdom's energy bill in 2007 stood at JD2.3 billion, equal to 56.4 per cent of the country's gross exports and 20.3 per cent of its gross domestic product.

He noted that 65 per cent of the energy consumed in the Kingdom depends on oil, 32 per cent on imported liquid gas and only 2 per cent on renewable energy.

The national energy strategy calls for 10 per cent of the country's energy demands to be met by renewable energy sources, 29 per cent by natural gas, 14 per cent from oil shale, and 6 per cent from nuclear energy within the next decade.

24 December 2009

http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=22609

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Monday, Dec 28, 2009


By Kyong-Ae Choi

SEOUL (Dow Jones)--South Korea, fresh on the heels of winning a landmark contract worth billions of dollars that has established it as a major global player in the nuclear energy industry, is eyeing similar deals with two other countries.

State-run Korea Electric Power Corp. (015760.SE), or Kepco, said Monday it's in talks with the governments of Jordan and Turkey on building nuclear reactors there.

"As Jordan and Turkey are in an initial stage of talks with several companies on building two nuclear reactors, respectively, nothing has been decided yet," a Kepco spokesman said by phone.

The average cost of two reactors combined is $10 billion, he added.

"As the Korean consortium won a mega nuclear reactor contract yesterday, South Korea will have an edge over other countries in future bids for nuclear reactors, due to the stability and security of Korean reactors," said Shin Min-seok at Daewoo Securities.

Sunday, a Kepco-led consortium won a $20 billion contract to build four reactors in the United Arab Emirates, ending a closely watched contest between bidders from Asia, France and the U.S.

The deal, the first international deal for South Korea's nuclear industry, is expected to help the country gain a foothold in the increasingly active global nuclear business, dominated by French, Japanese, U.S. and Russian companies.


28-12-09 0355GMT

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By Taylor Luck

AMMAN - The Ministry of Energy is entering a “new stage in negotiations” for the Kingdom’s first wind power plant, a senior ministry official said Wednesday.

The ministry is entering a new phase in negotiations for a small-scale wind turbine farm in Kamshah, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Khalid Irani said at a press conference yesterday.

Ministry officials declined to elaborate further, only to add that officials expect the conclusion of negotiations and the announcement of the project “soon”.

In yesterday’s press conference, Irani indicated that the tender for the Fujeij plant is in its final stages of preparation, underlining that the 80-90 megawatt wind plant, planned to be established in an area near Wadi Musa, will further the strategy.

Proposals for the plant at Kamshah, near Jerash, had been rejected twice over the price of electricity tariffs quoted by the winning bidder, Greek firm Terna Energy SA, according to the ministry.

Last year, the tender for the 30-40 megawatt plant garnered interest from two international companies, a Russian firm and Terna, with whom the government entered negotiations several months ago.

The main obstacles to concluding the agreement are the high tariffs and prices quoted for electricity included in the proposal, ministry officials previously told The Jordan Times, indicating that the prices were based on the economic situation and high oil prices when it was crafted late last year.

The plant, which was to be constructed on a build-operate-transfer basis with financing provided by the World Bank, was scheduled to be operational this year as the Kingdom’s first wind power plant.

Known for its affordability and relatively quick construction period, authorities have prioritised wind power as a key part of the Kingdom’s strategy for greater energy independence.

The Renewable Energy Law, which the Cabinet endorsed on Tuesday as a temporary law, will allow the ministry to negotiate with companies directly, and requires proposals for projects to state fixed electricity tariffs.



14 January 2010

http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=23145

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By Taylor Luck

AMMAN - Private companies with renewable energy projects will now be able to negotiate directly with the Energy Ministry as part of a series of changes to the sector, a senior ministry official announced on Wednesday.

Investments in renewable energy will be quicker as part of sweeping changes included in the recently endorsed Renewable Energy Law, Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Khalid Irani said at a press conference yesterday.

The long-awaited law, which the official said is designed to facilitate investment in the sector, was passed by the Cabinet on Tuesday, and will go into force after being published in the Official Gazette.

One of the major components of the legislation allows local and international companies to bypass a competitive bidding process and negotiate with the ministry directly to establish renewable energy projects.

Previously, the process was time-consuming and made it difficult for companies and the government to adjust or update projects prior to finalisation, according to officials.

Under the law, renewable energy projects will be required to clearly state fixed electricity tariffs in their proposals before being approved.

The minister underlined that the law aims to help the government reach the goals of the National Energy Strategy, which calls for 7 per cent of the Kingdom’s energy mix to come from renewable energy sources by 2015, and 10 per cent by 2020.

Also under the law, the National Electric Power Company (NEPCO) will be obligated to purchase any and all electricity produced by renewable energy power plants, Ziyad Jibril, head of the ministry’s renewable energy department, told The Jordan Times yesterday.

According to the legislation, NEPCO will be required to cover the cost of connecting renewable energy projects, be they wind farms, solar energy stations or other technologies, to the electricity grid, Jibril added.

The law will also allow citizens with solar power or wind turbines to sell electricity back to their electricity provider.

The legislation sets out net metering policies in order to promote private and small-scale renewable energy projects, under which citizens will have the right to sell excess electricity back to their area's electricity provider at full retail price.

Another important feature of the law is the establishment of the long-awaited Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Fund, which will be devoted to supporting energy-saving and renewable energy initiatives, Irani highlighted.

Private sector companies or investors within or outside the country can apply to the fund, which will be funded by the state budget and international donor agencies, he added.

Under the law, the fund will be overseen by a committee, presided over by the energy minister and comprising the secretaries general of the ministries of planning, finance, environment and energy, the Electricity Regulatory Committee and three private sector representatives selected by the Cabinet, Jibril said.

The fund has already received financing from the French Development Agency, the World Bank and the Global Environment Fund, he noted, adding that other international aid agencies such as the German Development Bank and the Japan International Cooperation Agency have expressed interest in providing assistance.

The fund will begin receiving proposals once the law is published in the Official Gazette, according to the ministry.

The energy strategy, which was formed in 2007, calls for Jordan to meet 29 per cent of its energy needs from natural gas, 14 per cent from oil shale, 10 per cent from renewable energy resources and 6 per cent from nuclear energy by 2020.

In addition to 600-megawatt (MW) of wind and 300-600MW of solar energy, the government is looking to generate 30-50MW of biomass energy within the next decade to meet the strategy’s goals.

The Kingdom currently imports around 96 per cent of its energy at a cost of 20 per cent of GDP..



14 January 2010

http://www.jordantimes.com/?news=23153

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A Korean consortium has been selected as a successful bidder to win a contract to build Jordan's first nuclear research reactor, the government said yesterday.

The Ministry of Education, Science and Technology said that the consortium consisting of the state-run Korean Atomic Energy Research Institute and Daewoo Engineering and Construction Co. received a "letter of acceptance" last Sunday from the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission, which confirmed that it has been chosen as the successful bidder.

The Korean consortium was chosen as the "preferred bidder" on Dec. 4, before which it had engaged in a fierce competition with those from Argentina, Russia and China to clinch the deal estimated to be worth 200 billion won ($178 million).

The deal calls for the 5 megawatt reactor to be built at the Jordan University of Science and Technology in Irbid - located 70 kilometers north of the capital city of Amman - by 2014.

The official signing of the deal with Jordan will come as early as March, the ministry said. Under the bilateral agreement, the approval process for construction of the reactor is to be completed within 18 months of the contract date and the operation of the reactor is to commence within four years of the contract date.

"The critical factors to become the successful bidder were our excellent technology - compared with competitors - and the government's strong will (to win the deal)," Oh Soo-youl, director of the Jordan Research and Training Reactor Project Management Division at KAERI, told The Korea Herald.

The signing of the deal will make Korea the third country to export an atomic research reactor after Argentina and Russia. Korea stepped into the research reactor field in 1959 after purchasing a reactor, named TRIGA Mark-II, from the United States.

Compared with a commercial reactor that generates energy by utilizing the heat from nuclear fission, a research reactor is for conducting a variety of scientific and engineering studies by utilizing neutrons created during nuclear fission.

There are currently about 240 research reactors in operation in some 50 countries.